LGBTQ Homeless Youth are Under Attack. CBST Fights Back.
LGBTQ homeless youth are under attack. CBST is fighting back. In November, Mayor Bloomberg cut $1.7M from city funding for LGBTQ homeless youth. CBST fought back by speaking at a public hearing, attending rallies, creating an online petition with hundreds of signatures, and holding a meeting with the mayor’s office to tell them that CBST would not stand for these cuts.
More recently, Gov. Cuomo, despite his support of marriage equality, cut funding to services for LGBTQ homeless youth by 50%, a violently disproportionate cut. As Carl Siciliano , Executive Director the Ali Forney Center writes:
“In 2007, $6.8 million in state funds supported 70 programs statewide. By 2010 that amount had been reduced to $4.7 million, and the youth shelters were on life support. The current agreement cuts the already reduced amount in half to $2.35 million, a cut that will lead to the loss of hundreds of youth shelter beds, and will lead to thousands more homeless teens being forced to survive alone on the streets.”
Last week, CBST’s Koleinu Marriage Equality/LGBT Rights Action Team organized a rally and march to oppose these budget cuts. The event was co-sponsored by FIERCE! and the Ali Forney Center . The Ali Forney Center also organized a community forum at the LGBT Community Center where close to 200 individuals turned out in unprecedented support for LGBTQ homeless youth.
We still need to show both the state and city governments that these cuts needs to not only be reversed, but funding needs to be increased.
Want to fight back with CBST?
Next Campaign Meeting: Thursday, May 12, 2011, 6:30 at 57 Bethune St.
