Elizabeth Achanta
For many organizations, a website is simply a place to publish information. For Connecticut Area Transfemme Sanctuary (CATS), it's become the digital front door to a growing nonprofit dedicated to helping one of the most underserved communities in the country.
Led by and for the transfemme community, CATS provides resources, advocacy, and connection for transgender women and transfeminine people throughout Connecticut. Since launching CATS.gay, the organization has expanded from a niche online community into a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the ability to fundraise, organize statewide initiatives, and provide tangible support where it's needed most. Today, CATS serves 667 members across 140 cities throughout the Eastern United States.
We spoke with Angela Hornung, Director of Technologies, about the organization's mission, its biggest challenges, and why a ".gay" domain turned out to be the perfect fit.
At its core, CATS exists to empower transfeminine people by addressing many of the barriers they face every day. The organization focuses on improving quality of life through practical support, including food security, housing assistance, access to medical care, relocation resources for those moving to Connecticut, and community events that educate, strengthen, and connect members.
Rather than simply providing information, CATS is creating a network where people can find both resources and belonging.But as with many nonprofits powered by passionate volunteers, growth brings its own challenges. Managing a mission-driven organization requires more than good intentions. It takes people with diverse skills who can coordinate increasingly complex projects while remaining community-focused.
"The biggest obstacle is organization," Angela explains. "I'm not the owner. There is no owner. We're a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.Obtaining enough skill and talent to properly organize such complex endeavors and working directly with the public is challenging. There is a fine balance between providing enough direction versus acting authoritarian and pushing people away."
It's a challenge many grassroots organizations encounter as they transition from informal communities into established nonprofits.
For CATS, launching its website earlier this year marked a major turning point.
"Our first Pride with the website saw the organization really begin to flourish from a niche online space to a true statewide agency looking to spread its wings and assist others," Angela says.
That growth has been accompanied by meaningful impact across the community.
"We've seen major assistance occur amongst our members. Becoming a 501(c)(3) grants us the incredible capacity to accept public funding, fundraise, and utilize those funds for endeavors that otherwise would've been out of reach."
Together, the nonprofit designation and an accessible online presence have helped CATS reach more people, build credibility, and expand its mission.
Angela's advice is refreshingly simple: "90% of life is just showing up and trying. No one knows what they're doing until they've done it."
She encourages people to embrace uncertainty instead of waiting for the perfect moment. "So keep your caution, but don't let it paralyze you."
It's advice that reflects CATS' own journey: start with a mission, keep learning, and build something that grows alongside your community.
Sometimes the best branding decisions begin as a joke. The team originally explored more traditional domains, but quickly ran into practical limitations.
"We were looking at domains, but cats.org was too expensive, and ctareatransfemmesanctuary.org wasn't exactly catchy," Angela recalls.
"I jokingly suggested .gay. One of our board members asked if it was actually possible, and I confirmed that technically speaking, yes. Then bam: we unironically bought the cats.gay domain, and I put together the website."
It proved to be more than memorable branding. The community embraced it immediately, even down to their email addresses.
"It was a funny joke given the nature of this organization that really just fit way too well. Members were laughing about their Google Workspace email domain being .gay."
Today, CATS.gay is easy to remember, proudly reflects the organization's identity, and gives supporters an immediate sense of who they are and who they serve.
For organizations serving marginalized communities, visibility can make all the difference.
A memorable web address helps people discover resources, connect with support networks, and find a community that understands their experiences.
For CATS, a simple domain became much more than an address: it became part of the organization's identity as it grew from an online gathering place into a nonprofit making a real difference across Connecticut.
Sometimes, the perfect domain isn't just available.
It's exactly who you are.
Elizabeth Achanta
Money. Politics. Sex. The three things your mother told you never to discuss at the dinner table. One content creator has built an entire career on one of them — and he's not even a little bit sorry.
Liz Achanta
For nearly three decades, Logan Lynn has built a career rooted in radical transparency. The Portland-based musician, writer, filmmaker, and mental health advocate first emerged as a teenager, signing a record deal at just seventeen years old using songs he had written and recorded years earlier. Since then, Lynn has released a deep catalog of music spanning indie rock, synth-pop, and electronic influences while building a reputation for emotionally raw songwriting that explores identity, grief, addiction, love, recovery, and survival.
Liz Achanta
When Jesse Rudicil started RudicilAI Lab Inc in Los Angeles, he had a straightforward mission: “Be the leader in medical, legal, and cellular AI technology.” His goal is to explore how artificial intelligence could support advances in areas such as patient care, legal processes, and cellular research. It’s early-stage, ambitious work, and much of it sits at the intersection of fields that don’t always connect easily.
Liz Achanta
Language shapes our world. The words we choose can either build bridges or reinforce barriers, especially when it comes to gender identity and expression. If you've ever wondered why some people are so passionate about pronouns or why terms evolve within the LGBTQIA+ community, this guide is for you! Let's explore how inclusive language helps create spaces where everyone feels seen, respected, and valued.
