The Curve Foundation champions LGBTQ+ women’s and nonbinary people’s culture and stories through intergenerational programming and community building. We are inclusive of all who identify as part of the Curve community.
We bring the Curve magazine archive to life, providing context and a throughline between the critical conversations in the 1990s and early 2000s and today; we support the journalists who tell our stories; and we host conversations and events that bring our community together.
With nearly 30% of Gen Z identifying as LGBTQ+, Curve’s mission remains critical. While it’s wonderful that many young people feel safe to live authentically, we are seeing our hard-won rights being stripped away. When our stories and contributions to society are not protected, we see increases in violence against women, mental health issues, homeless youth, and suicide.
(Source: True Colors Fund, a nonprofit organization working to end homelessness in the LGBT community)
(Source: as reported by NPR)
(Source: The National Association on Mental Illness)
(Source: UCLA Williams Institute)
That’s why The Curve Foundation spotlights the roles lesbians hold in society and the contributions we make, creating a positive space for lesbians and queer women with programs like Curve Conversations, Lesbian Visibility Week, and the Curve Fellowship for Emerging Journalists.
Source: Journal of Applied Social Psychology (Levina 2000)
Source: Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization (Aneja 2021)
Our work is critical to move the LGBTQ+ community out of a scarcity framework towards a future based on abundance. We dream of a world where we can see each other for who we are and embrace what makes us different; a world where our community doesn’t define our unity through our shared oppression, but through our ability to come together in joy and solidarity.
Join us in shaping this future. Your support, whether through donation, volunteering, or participation in our events, makes a meaningful impact on the lives of those we champion. Together, we can create a world where unity and joy define our LGBTQ+ community.
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In 2021, Curve magazine became a not-for-profit project of The Curve Foundation. Curve relaunched digitally with an iconic new look that embodies the rich history and exciting legacy of our community’s stories. Going forward, Curve will draw a throughline between what was happening from the time it launched in the 1990s to what’s happening today for the Curve Community.
The Curve Foundation is proud to further its mission of sharing our culture and stories, connecting with each other, and raising visibility by providing a searchable, accessible archive of the 30+ years of Curve and Deneuve Magazine issues.
AHEAD OF THE CURVE is the story of one of the most influential women in lesbian history you’ve never heard of and the impact her work continues to have today. Growing up, Franco never saw any representation of queer women-she didn’t even know it was possible for a woman to be gay. When she realized she was a lesbian, it changed the course of her life.
Films and series that pass the Curve Test help broaden and deepen representation beyond the stories that reduce LGBTQ+ women, trans, and non-binary people to stereotypes. This test is not intended to be used as a weapon to shame. Films and series that don’t pass are not to be condemned. Rather, the test is intended as a tool for conversation, a barometer to help us see which films and series are pushing the movement forward and where we need to put more attention.
With the support of our community, Curve will work to continue to curate our culture into the future.
Missed our Beyond the Rainbow panels during Lesbian Visibility Week? These four new panels from our dynamic conversation series are now available to stream online! ✨ From queer women reshaping women's sports and the sports bar scene to visionary filmmakers and photographers reflecting on culture, legacy, and representation, these conversations celebrate our community and inspire. 🌈 Watch now: thecurvefoundation.org/beyond-the-rainbow
#BeyondtheRainbow #CurveFoundation #LesbianVisibility #LesbianVisibilityWeek
🔥 Kicking off Pride Month with a bang! Frances "Franco" Stevens, Curve Magazine spoke to an energetic crowd this weekend at Women's Freedom Festival in West Hollywood, CA, and joined in at the annual Dyke March by WeHo Pride and The L-Project 💞
What events are you attending this month to celebrate Pride? Let us know!
Photo by: NJP Photography
#womensfreedomfestival #dykemarch #dykemarchla #curvefoundation #pride #pridemonth #lgbt #lgbtq
🔥Kicking off Pride Month with a bang!! Franco Stevens of Curve @francostevens spoke to an energetic crowd this weekend at Women's Freedom Festival in West Hollywood, CA, and joined in at the annual Dyke March by WeHo Pride @wehopride & L Project LA @lprojectla 💞
What events are you attending this month to celebrate Pride? Let us know!
#womensfreedomfestival #dykemarch #dykemarchla #curvefoundation #pride #pridemonth #lgbt #lgbtq
TODAY! Franco Stevens @francostevens of Curve Magazine is speaking at the Women’s Freedom Festival in West Hollywood, CA! 🏳️🌈 The event will be immediately followed by the WeHo Dyke March, a motorcycle-led rally along Santa Monica Blvd.
The amazing Women's Freedom Festival and Dyke March are presented by The L-Project and WeHo Pride. Come through to celebrate and stand proudly with community! 🌈✊
We are deeply saddened to share the news of Victoria A. Brownworth’s passing. Victoria was not only a fearless voice in journalism, but played a significant role at Curve Magazine—she was Curve's first paid journalist and one of our longest contributors, with her work spanning the magazine's 30-year history, spearheading the politics column. Her reporting reflected the very best of Curve: speaking powerfully and authentically for our community.
At The Curve Foundation, we were so inspired by Victoria’s contributions to journalism as an out lesbian that we created the Curve Award for Excellence in Lesbian Coverage in 2023 in her honor.
Victoria’s prolific work tackled issues including LGBTQ+ rights, disability rights, feminism, women's health, gender and racial inequality, politics, and stories of lesbian lives and history. A Pulitzer Prize nominee and award-winning journalist, she was dedicated to ensuring our stories were told. Her impact on both journalism and the LGBTQ+ community is profound.
We mourn her loss and celebrate the path she forged.
You can find The Curve Foundation's one-hour oral history interview with Victoria A. Brownworth from August 5, 2023, on Soundcloud. 📎 soundcloud.com/the-curve-foundation/victoria-brownworth-x-curve-fdn-interview
🏳️🌈 On April 24, 2025, The Curve Foundation held a San Francisco City Hall Reception for Lesbian Visibility Week with Mayor Daniel Lurie, Board President Rafael Mandelman, and special guests and speakers in attendance. The reception included San Francisco's first-ever Lesbian Flag-Raising Ceremony on the Mayor's Balcony!
🎙️ Speakers included:
Rebecca Rolfe (Executive Director of the SF LGBT Center)
Imani Rupert-Gordon (Executive Director of NCLR)
Carol Isen (Human Resources Director at City and County of San Francisco)
Franco Stevens (Co-founder of The Curve Foundation)
Jen Rainin (Co-founder of The Curve Foundation)
📸 Photography by Brigitte Jaramillo
© 2024 The Curve Foundation, All rights reserved.
