Take Care 🌈 PRIDE ALL YEAR
We celebrate Pride this month and all year long.
Dear Readers,
As Pride Month comes to a close, we send our love to all trans, intersex, and non-binary folks, as well as to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and asexual members of our community. We love you, hear you, respect you, and see you. Not just during Pride Month, but every damn day of the year.
At Womanly, our mission is to uplift resources for your health and to advocate for your right to be who you are in this world. Always know that.
We’re sending this newsletter a little later than usual because we’ve been deeply focused on our fundraising efforts and planning for our next issue 👀. But we’re still here, and we truly appreciate you sticking with us through all the ups and downs.
With care,
Attia
Birth Justice in the South: Leah Jones of SisterSong on the Ongoing Fight for Reproductive Freedom
We spoke with Leah Jones of SisterSong about how SisterSong continues to advocate for improved birth outcomes in Black and marginalized communities, and the most urgent legislative threats to reproductive justice across the country.
SisterSong urgently needs your support! Their Birth Justice Care Fund is a needs-based initiative for Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina and Florida residents, in response to the epidemic of Maternal Mortality rates in the United States. The fund is intended for Black and other birthing people of color, especially marginalized communities in need of support during their pregnancy and within one year postpartum. This fund is also intended to support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) birth workers who are exclusive partners with this fund.
Featured Opportunities
Queer|Art Illuminations Grant - For Black Trans Women Visual Artists. Apply by July 2nd
PEN America U.S. Writers Aid Initiative - Created to assist authors, poets, playwrights, screenwriters, translators, and journalists in short-term financial emergencies - Apply by July 15th
Cleveland Foundation LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund - To empower LGBTQ+ communities by leveraging philanthropy to advance queer justice and equity. Apply by August 1st.
MIT Museum Exhibitions on TIME and MIND CONTROL - MIT Museum seeks proposals for innovative public programs that explore humanity's relationship with the theme of TIME, and proposals for a new exhibition, MIND CONTROL, that explores the human mind. Apply by June 30th.
Ucross Spring 2026 Artist Residencies - This program offers both emerging and established artists the opportunity to focus deeply on their work, surrounded by the majestic High Plains of Wyoming. Apply by July 15th.
Barbara Hammer Lesbian Experimental Filmmaking Grant - An annual grant awarded to lesbians for making visionary moving-image art. Apply by July 2nd.
2025-26 XENO Prize Artist Books Application - $5000 in support of new work by an early-career LGBTQ+ identifying performance artist. Apply by July 2nd.
Travel in Style this Summer
Shop Cuyana’s chic collection of weekenders and travel bags. By shopping through this link you directly support our mission of providing health education through art and design. Email partnerships@womanlymag.com to learn more about advertising with us.
The Future of Non-Toxic Braiding Hair: An Interview with Kynd Hair Founder Cosima Richardson
Synthetic extensions and braiding hair are coming under scrutiny for potential health hazards. Some of the most widely used brands contain carcinogens, lead, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), substances known to cause skin irritation and possibly more severe long-term health effects.
Fortunately, entrepreneurs are stepping up to protect Black women by offering safer alternatives. We spoke with Cosima Richardson, founder of Kynd Hair, about her journey to creating a brand committed to eliminating synthetic braiding hair for good. Kynd—a Black-owned, woman-owned company—offers clean, non-toxic, itch-free braiding hair made from plant-based materials.
Welcome Nia-Simone! Womanly’s New Fundraising Officer
Nia-Simone Woods is a sexual and reproductive health researcher and writer based in New York City. Her work centers the influence of visual media on SRH decision making and outcomes in Black and Brown communities. As a current graduate student in Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University, and former graduate of Spelman College, Nia-Simone places all of her work within a sociohistorical context and considers the gendered and racialized experiences of women, girls, and queer-identifying people in her analyses.
She brings years of experience in sexual and reproductive health research, education, and advocacy and holds a long-demonstrated passion and leadership in health communication. She has previously contributed her insights to various projects with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Sister Song, Howard University, and SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, amongst others.