LOS ANGELES—Prominent members of the adult industry trans community this week launced non-profit charity organization the Trans Adult Industry Foundation, Inc. (TAIF).
The Board of Directors for TAIF are advocate and educator Buck Angel, Grooby owner Steven Grooby, and Grooby marketing director Kristel Penn.
“Giving back is a very important part of my work so joining with TAIF was a no brainer,” Angel said. “We as adult entertainment producers and performers have been shunned by some LGBTQ organizations when we have tried to donate our money. This makes me sad because essentially they are saying, ‘Your money is not good enough to save lives.’ So with that came TAIF, and something good came out of a negative. Excited to see the future of TAIF and helping our community.”
“We've a long standing history of promoting and donating to causes that are related to our specific niche, and I've nurtured a few ideas on how we can 'give back' to our community without being able to bring them to fruition,” Grooby commented. “TAIF has taken the best of our previous ideas and is also born out of frustration on wanting to get funds to those most in need, with some charities refusing to accept money from adult companies. Buck, Kristel and I are looking forward to reaching out to other companies, models and fans, and have some cool fundraising ideas, as well as funneling a portion of Grooby's profits directly to the foundation.”
TAIF aims to assist groups who support trans performers in the adult industry. Any contributions made through TAIF will be listed on its website with full transparency. Companies in the adult industry who want to work with TAIF should contact Penn at [email protected].
Lawrence Walters, Esq., general counsel to the Foundation, applauded the effort, saying, “The trans community will be well-served by this clearinghouse for effective donations, and the directors are committed to raising the necessary funds to make a difference.”
TAIF notes that as it is not yet a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, any contributions to the organization are not deductible for federal income tax purposes as charitable contributions.
For more information, visit TAIF.org.
