The first ever LGBTQ+Press Empowerment Grant, a groundbreaking initiative powered by Queeromattic, was announced last month. Queeromattic is an Automattician Resource Group launched in 2019 by Automattic’s LGBTQ+ community with the aim of encouraging the individuals in the community with resources, opportunities, and sponsorships to join WordPress. 

LGBTQ+Press Empowerment Grant

The grant of $500 was for LGBTQ+ candidates who applied for the WordPress Contributor Mentorship Program as mentees and was initially decided for a maximum of 4 candidates. Six folks applied for this opportunity and after careful budget planning and discussions, the organization decided to fund all six with $500. 

The amount will be handed over to the candidates after the successful completion of the Mentorship program scheduled from February 19, 2024, to March 29, 2024. 

The Grant deserves special appreciation because the organizers considered the problems faced by this community and assured all applicants of their right to privacy. The Grant was not even limited to those who were “out”. Only Anne McCarthy (Queeromattic), Hari Shanker (Make Community Team) and Naoko Takano (Make Community Team) would know the identities of the applicants. The names of the applicants will remain confidential at all stages, ensuring a safe and secure application process. Even the mentors or others from the LGBTQ+ community will not be told the names of the applicants or the winners of the grant. 

The Empowerment Grant shows a lot of promise as the first installment itself can be deemed a success with six awardees. It becomes all the more important considering the feeling of being welcome in the WordPress community among contributors decreased to 57% versus 64% in 2022, according to the recently released Annual Survey results.