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HIV/AIDS Programs Get Hit
Albany, New York, January 20, 2004 – Governor Pataki’s Executive Budget proposal for SFY 2004-2005 provides $1.0 million to support non-HIV/AIDS health and human services programs targeting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities across New York State. While this figure is the same as last year’s amount, it remains substantially less than the $2.5 million that was first provided two years ago in the Executive Budget.
“We appreciate the fact that funds have been allocated during a difficult financial time for the state and the program continues to have the Governor’s support, but the level of funding is inadequate and we’re unhappy about it,” said Carmen Vazquez, Deputy Director of Empire State Pride Agenda.
“Our community is growing,” said Vazquez. “Census 2000 figures show we live in every county of this state and one in four same-sex couples is raising children and doing so without access to the benefits and protections government provides to married couples in the very same situation. There are also longstanding health and social welfare challenges facing many LGBT youth, seniors and others, all of which have been ignored by the state for too long.”
“New York must do more,” emphasized Vazquez. “We will continue our advocacy efforts and will be talking to both chambers of the Legislature to see if additional funds can be found this year.”
Assemblymember Deborah Glick of Manhattan, senior member of the LGBT legislative delegation said, “The Governor has once again failed to provide a reasonable base of support for LGBT community service organizations. These groups offer counseling and other critical services to vulnerable populations, like seniors and youth. The LGBT community pays taxes and gives considerable private support to these groups, but we should not have to do the job of government in establishing a base of support.”
Assemblymember Sam Hoyt of Buffalo said, “LGBT-specific services are hard to come by all over the state and even more so upstate and out west. The least the state can do is help support the valuable services these community-based groups provide.”
The $1.0 million allocated today falls under the Department of Health’s Aid to Localities General Fund spending and represents 1/100th of a percent of its $7.04 billion total. The Pride Agenda had requested $2.5 million to get back to the level provided two year’s ago in the Governor’s budget.
Commenting on the need for more funding, Marvin L. Henchbarger, Executive Director of Gay & Lesbian Youth Services of Western New York (GLYS) said, "Issues for LGBT youth in Buffalo and our neighboring counties are barely being addressed. Our youth are still in danger of abuse and harassment and lack affirmation from a homophobic world. State dollars have helped us provide services and opportunities, but the cuts in funding will not allow us to reach out to LGBT youth in the suburbs and rural areas surrounding Buffalo where they are most at risk and most isolated. We're it. There's nothing for LGBT youth if we're not here."
Yvette Christofilis, Executive Director of Lesbian & Gay Community Services Center in White Plains said, “Our work is already under funded. This is a band aid at best and will do little to overcome the years of silence by the state on issues confronting our community.”
Six years ago, largely through the initiative of the Assembly, New York State began funding this unique program to provide health, mental health, alcohol and substance abuse treatment, violence prevention and other social services to LGBT youth, seniors, crime victims and others. To our knowledge it is the only such program among the fifty states. Over the six years, more than $12.6 million has been provided to sustain and help launch around 50 new programs from Buffalo to Suffolk County. For each of the six years Speaker Silver and the Assembly Majority provided funding through its discretionary budget, including $700,000 last year. Governor Pataki has been funding these programs through the Executive Budget for the past two years. Today’s $1.0 million marks the third year funds have been provided through his budget.
The LGBT service organizations that operate these 50 programs work in coalition with each other and are known as the New York State LGBT Health and Human Services Network (Network). The Pride Agenda Foundation coordinates the Network’s education and advocacy efforts in Albany.
The other area of the Executive Budget closely watched by LGBT activists is funding for HIV/AIDS, which in exponentially larger than the non-HIV/AIDS health and human services initiative. As feared, it does appear that proposed cuts in funding for Medicaid in today’s Executive Budget will hit a number of benefits and services that are crucial to individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS. Gay Men’s Health Crisis, a community-based AIDS organization that is a leading advocate in Albany on this issue, has put together a statement about the extent of the budget’s negative impact on HIV/AIDS funding, available at www.GMHC.org.
Founded in 1990, the Empire State Pride Agenda is New York's statewide civil rights organization committed to achieving full equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) New Yorkers and our families. The Pride Agenda fights for these objectives by: educating the public, elected officials and policymakers; building coalitions and mobilizing allies; and, organizing and empowering the LGBT community. Victories include the enactment of statewide sexual orientation non-discrimination and hate crimes laws, the repeal of the consensual sodomy statute, and winning more than $12.5 million in state funds for LGBT health and human services statewide. Other victories include the passage of local non-discrimination measures in Westchester County, Nassau County, Suffolk County, and Buffalo, the enactment of a transgender non-discrimination law in NYC, and the enactment of a series of state laws, regulations, and private relief initiatives that provided equal benefits to LGBT surviving partners of 9/11 victims. With thousands of supporters, the Pride Agenda has offices in NYC and Albany and is the largest statewide LGBT organization in the country.
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