QEJ Pride March
Do you want to march in the Pride March on Sunday June 26th but don’t have anyone to march with?
Well look no further friend, come join QEJ as we proudly show New York that poor queers are just as important to the movement as anyone else. QEJ staff, volunteers, shelter residents and more will be struttin’ our stuff down 5th ave, and we would absolutely love it if you joined
Meet PROMPTLY 12pm on 39th St btwn. 5th and Madison Ave…look for the QEJ Van
RSVP with Jay at 917 939 2511 or jay@q4ej.org
City Funding Refusal Threatens Welfare of Thousands of Homeless LGBTQ Youth
Media Contact: Lucky Michaels
MCCNY Homeless Youth Services
(212) 629-7440
City Funding Refusal Threatens Welfare of Thousands of Homeless LGBTQ Youth
The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) has failed to consider $253,718 in funding for Sylvia’s Place, a project of MCCNY Homeless Youth Services, thus jeopardizing the welfare of over 1,000 homeless and runaway LGBTQ youth in the coming year who would rely on Sylvia’s Place services.
MCCNY Homeless Youth Services operates Sylvia’s Place, which currently provides 1/3 of the city’s existing beds for LGBTQ homeless and runaway youth, who face harassment, violence and discrimination at mainstream shelters. Without DYCD funding, the LGBTQ youth waiting on transitional beds at the Ali Forney Center and Green Chimneys—a process which can take a long time—will be forced back to the streets.
“Losing contact with at-risk youth will mean that we will be unable to locate them when their names come up on months-long waiting lists,” said MCCNY Homeless Youth Services Director Lucky S. Michaels. “We will also be unable to ensure that the youth receive the services—food, medical care, and shelter—they need, and the assistance they require to avoid future interactions with law enforcement.”
Of the nearly 3.800 youth who are homeless in New York City every night, over 1080 identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, according to a 2007 study by the Empire State Coalition of Youth and Family Services. Sylvia’s Place currently houses 26 of the only 75 beds for LGBTQ homeless youth in the city.
“Without DYCD funding for drop-in centers in Manhattan, all Sylvia’s Place’s programs are at great risk of closing, reducing the LGBTQ bed per client ration to well below 2007 levels.,” said the Reverend Pat Bumgardner, Senior Pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of New York.
“The recurrence of these city funding refusals to LGBTQ-specific social service organizations brings into question not only the welfare of the City’s LGBTQ community but also the willingness of city agencies to protect LGBTQ New Yorkers,” said Morán-Berberena.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
Tell the DYCD and City Council that the futures of LGBTQ homeless youth matter! Forward this message to your press and network contacts and get the word out that LGBTQ youth are at risk of losing vital services!
E-mail your letter (see example below) to:
Daniel Symon, DYCD Chief Contracting Officer
dsymon@dycd.nyc.gov
Jeanne B. Mullgrav, Commissioner DYCD
jmullgrav@dycd.nyc.gov
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Homeless Advocates Uncover Denial Of Services To Straight & LGBT Young Adults
HOMELESS ADVOCATES UNCOVER DENIAL OF SERVICES TO STRAIGHT & LGBT YOUNG ADULTS
Advocates Call Townhall Meeting on March 11, 2009 to Discuss How Homeless New Yorkers Are Being “Turned Away”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK,—After documenting dozens of stories of homeless young adults denied the right to access city shelters, New York advocates, service providers and the homeless are seeking answers from the Department of Homeless Services, and will be sharing those stories on a panel titled “TURNED AWAY: How Have Young Adults Been Denied Access to City Shelter?”, which is being organized and moderated by Queers for Economic Justice. The event happens on Wednesday, March 11th at 6:30pm at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center (208 W 13th St). Panelists include Joey Lopez, Ali Forney Center; Diana Olaizola, Coalition for the Homeless; Nancy Downing, Covenant House; Jane Bock, Legal Aid Society; and Anya Mukarji-Connolly, the Peter Cicchino Youth Project.
Although New York State policy allows long-term shelter access to homeless adults over 18 years of age, countless homeless young adults over 18 are being denied this right. They have been told they are “too young” and have been sent to youth agencies that can only offer short term shelter.
In 2008, Convenant House was referred over 259 young mothers (including pregnant women), and their more than 149 children by Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing or PATH (which is the Department of Homeless Services’ family intake center), according to Nancy Dowling, Director of Advocacy/Legal at Covenant House New York. All of these mothers between the ages of 18 and 21. However, many of these young mothers were told that they did not qualify for Department of Homeless Services because of their age or that the only place available for them was Covenant House.
“These actions are in direct violation of the City’s own stated policies,” said Joseph N. DeFilippis, Executive Director of Queers for Economic Justice. “We came together months ago when many of our organizations were hearing horror stories from young adults who were given the runaround, and DHS has never explained why this is happening.”
According to Diana Olaizola, Shelter Inspector at Coalition for the Homeless, “every homeless adult over the age of 18 has a right to get services in any city shelter for adults. No one can/should be denied shelter access”. Yet organizers and advocates continue to see this happening with young adults. In NYC, at least one-third of homeless youth self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
“The issue at hand is DHS lack of effort to make sure young people 18-21 no matter what gender get the opportunity to access their shelters,” said Joey Lopez, Coordinator of Policy & Training for the Ali Forney Center. “This includes their own inability to give young people 18-21 the adequate & proper services they deserve in a culturally & non-judgmental manner once in their care.”
Co-Sponsored by:
The Ali Forney Center
The NYC Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project
Audre Lorde Project
Coalition for the Homeless
Green Chimneys
Hetrick Martin Institute
Lambda Legal
The LGBT Community Center
Metropolitan Community Church of New York
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
New York Legal Assistance Group
Picture The Homeless
Queens Community House
Queers for Economic Justice
Sylvia Rivera Law Project
Urban Justice Center
Welfare Rights Initiative
The event is open to the public and admission is free. The event, which is free to the public, will be held at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, at 208 West 13th Street in New York City on Wednesday, March 11, 2009 from 6:30pm -8:30pm.
Queers for Economic Justice is a progressive non-profit organization committed to promoting economic justice in a context of sexual and gender liberation. To learn more about QEJ and our Shelter Organizing Project, visit www.q4ej.org
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