Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Alaina Daniels, Co-founder and Executive Director of Transformative Schools
2:12:34
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179 sec
Alaina Daniels, a neurodivergent lesbian non-binary trans woman and co-founder of Transformative Schools, testifies about the need for increased funding and leadership roles for trans-led organizations in New York City. She emphasizes the importance of trans people leading initiatives that affect their lives and criticizes the current allocation of funds in the Trans Equity Fund.
- Daniels highlights the work of Transformative Schools in organizing for trans rights and recent activism efforts.
- She points out that only $3.2 million out of the $111 billion NYC budget goes to the Trans Equity Fund, with 62% of that going to cis-led organizations.
- Daniels demands an increase in the Trans Equity Initiative to at least $10 million for 2026 and calls for more trans-led organizations to be included in the fund.
Alaina Daniels
2:12:34
Nope, you're good.
2:12:36
Good afternoon, chair Lewis and members of the committee on women and gender equity.
2:12:42
My name is Elena Daniels and I'm a proud neurodivergent lesbian non binary trans woman.
2:12:47
I'm also the co founder and executive director of Transformative Schools with Ro Pena.
2:12:52
TFS
Shahana Hanif
2:12:53
is
Alaina Daniels
2:12:53
a school for building trans power.
2:12:55
We do this by cultivating a network of trans people through our work developing trans teachers, teaching trans kids, researching with trans communities, and organizing for trans rights.
2:13:05
For a year, we've been organizing a partnership with ACT UP to demand that, City Education Council number two rescind the hateful resolution to 48.
2:13:14
Since December, when the parents of some of our students first came to us, saying that trans youth were losing healthcare at New York City institutions.
2:13:22
We've been organizing around this issue, and we're the ones who brought the parents to the reporters who broke the story.
2:13:28
Earlier this month, we partnered with ACT UP and gender liberation movement to run the Rise Up for Trans Youth rally, where 7,000 people gathered in Union Square, and seven of our students, three of our parents, and two of our teachers were speakers.
2:13:43
We're so excited about the energy for trans kids and trans people, and all of the legal and policy efforts on our behalf, like this hearing.
2:13:50
However, this also brings me to the problem.
2:13:52
We're currently in a situation where we've got a bunch of cis electeds, cis advocates, cis led organizations, and cis people with other positions of power, making decisions that impact trans lives.
2:14:03
That's the change.
2:14:05
Last week at Comptroller Landers Trans Roundtable, the trans executive directors of Advocates for Trans Equality, Black Trans Liberation Kitchen, Glitz, New Pride Agenda, New York Transgender Advocacy Group, PFLAG NYC, Trans Latinx, and Transformative Schools came together, to say, and supported by Ali Forney, came together to say, we already did the policy work.
2:14:28
It's the policy memorandum and the Pride and Policy report.
2:14:31
We already did the roundtables and photo ops.
2:14:34
We've already applied for funding.
2:14:35
We warned the city and the cis led orgs that these attacks on trans people, especially those who multi marginalized, were coming.
2:14:42
And we're tired and more at risk than ever before.
2:14:45
We believe that trans people know more about transphobia and how to end it than cis people because we live it every day.
2:14:51
And so I want to reiterate that we have one and only one focus for today.
2:14:55
Ensuring that trans led programs receive enough funding to sustain and grow our work, caring for our communities.
2:15:01
Because currently, out of a New York City budget of a hundred and 11,000,000,000, only 3,200,000.0 goes to the Trans Equity Fund.
2:15:09
And of that 3,200,000.0, 60 2 percent of it currently goes to sys led organizations.
2:15:15
After years of asking and years of promises, in fiscal year twenty five, none of the trans led orgs were added to the trans equity fund.
2:15:21
Alright.
2:15:22
And instead two cisgender orgs were added.
2:15:24
Mhmm.
2:15:24
And so trans people need to be leading this process.
2:15:26
And so to end with the three demands to please increase the trans equity initiative to 10,000,000 at least for 2026.
Farah Louis
2:15:33
Thank you so much.