A GJI Spring Appeal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Lenten and Easter Season 2026

Dear friends and supporters of the Global Justice Institute:

2025 was a challenging year for the Global Justice Institute {GJI}.  The political scene around the world, especially in the United States, reshaped the battle for LGBTQIA equality, not only removing many funding sources but also silencing many former allies and partners in this work.

We are, however, a strong and resilient people, and so the challenges, though many and strident, have not deterred us or our partners around the globe.

In Botswana a water project had to be recalibrated, but continues to take shape so that our allied community there can serve as a hub for the wider community, fostering supportive and just relationships.  A heartfelt thanks to John Hassel and the Seekers Community Church for their generous support of this work. 

In Kenya our community in Mtito Andei continues to grow and flourish.  The stability Global Justice and its partners have achieved in maintaining our site, offering emergency housing to pastors who are outed, proving a community garden and fresh water source along with stocking fish, offering an annual retreat to gay clergy, and continuing community programming in the midst of not only dwindling outside support but local government hostility is amazing.  We give thanks to The Rev. Uthasyo Kimindu, Pastor Robai and o ur partner Stan Kimer for your faithfulness.

In Central and Latin America our work with refugees in Costa Rica under the leadership of Denis, with the HIV and AIDS community in Mexico, with people like Ana Ruth and Ecumenicas crusading for cis and trans women’s rights and equality, with Celio in Brazil and a shelter for homeless Queer people and those struggling with addiction,  with Rev. Cristiano throughout the region and ICM Sao Paolo, along with the overarching work and supervision of The Rev. Elder Margarita Sanchez de. Leon continues to push forward forging new partnerships.  Deep and abiding gratitude to Rev. Margarita for her pioneering efforts with seminaries and colleges around racism, Queer rights and women’s rights.

From Belarus to Romania to Lithuania we continue to hold our ground in Eastern Europe, maintaining a hub office in Lithuania.  Many thanks to Bishop Jim Merritt and Florin Bucheanu  for your continued efforts pursuing legal battles there, and to our partners at Journalists For Tolerance {J4T}, who continue to strive for just coverage of LGBTQIA life.

Many thanks to Bishop Robert and Bishop Durrell for reviving work in Pakistan, and developing a partnership with a community working with the transgender population.  It is no secret that trans people around the globe are being targeted in more and more violent and destructive ways, and this new partnership will further the work of GJI on behalf of trans people.

It may seem like 2 or 4 or 6 or more steps backward for every step forward on behalf of Queer rights and equality in the United States, but we at the GJI have not given up.  Our work through the legislative and policy efforts spear headed by Kareem Murphy and with the Council for Global Equality where Bishop Robert Griffin holds a seat has been relentless in challenging executive orders, judicial set backs and legislative efforts to eliminate our history and rescind our rights as a people.

The Lenten Season, Holy Week and Easter all testify to God’s faithfulness in the fight for life, and call us to be resilient and lift high hope for the future.  And so I want to thank every individual and congregation who has continued to stand firm in the fight for just and right relationship the world over, and all who have continued to support the work of GJI.  You are keeping hope alive, and as The Rev. Elder Troy Perry likes to say ~ we can live a little while without food or water or air, but we can’t live one second without hope!

GJI is doing the work of keeping hope alive, and to my way of thinking there is no more crucial effort worth supporting at this time in history.  Every dime and dollar given goes directly to work on the ground.  All our partners, all our team members donate their time and effort, with MCCNY and the Sunshine Cathedral assuming overhead costs for the Institute.

With gratitude for all I trust you are doing in the fight for equality and justice, I ask you to give to this vital work and ministry this season.  To make a contribution to the GJI go to globaljusticeinstitute.org and click the donate button or mail your offering to GJI, 446 West 36th Street, NY, NY 10018.

With gratitude and in hope for the future,

Rev. Pat

Executive Director

Global Justice Institute