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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Qween Jean, Founder and Executive Director of Black Trans Liberation
1:22:22
ยท
3 min
Qween Jean, founder and executive director of Black Trans Liberation, testifies on the need to increase funding for the trans equity fund from $3.4 million to at least $10 million. She emphasizes the importance of prioritizing trans-led organizations and reducing barriers to accessing funds.
- Highlights the crisis of violence against transgender people in New York City
- Criticizes the current distribution of the trans equity fund, with 62% going to cis-led organizations
- Suggests reallocating funds from NYPD units to support the trans community
- Calls for reimagining processes to make funds more accessible to trans-led organizations
Qween Jean (she/her)
1:22:22
Maybe I can use both.
1:22:23
Okay.
1:22:24
I push it.
1:22:25
Oh, there it is.
1:22:26
Hello.
1:22:28
Good afternoon esteemed counsel.
1:22:30
My name is Queen Jean, my pronouns are she and her.
1:22:33
I'm the founder and the executive director of Black Trans Liberation here in New York City, and I just want to say a few things.
1:22:40
One is that there is a ongoing crisis as we all are aware of in this month, that's why we're sitting here, violence against transgender people, against New Yorkers, and the city has put being able to put together the trans equity fund, and this trans equity fund is intended to support trans community.
1:22:59
Currently in this moment, the trans equity fund is supporting 62% cis led organizations.
1:23:07
That means non trans led organizations.
1:23:11
That means the trans people there do not have executive power.
1:23:14
So that is a crisis and a problem.
1:23:16
We are I am hoping and demanding today that the budget be increased from the 3,400,000.0 to at least 10,000,000 or more.
1:23:27
10,000,000 or more because we need that funding to actually take care of our people.
1:23:33
Our community, they come to us as trans people, they come to us as trans leaders, as trans hubs, as sanctuary safe spaces in order to get salvation, in order to get the resources and the care that we are providing, and a lot of us are providing that out of our own selves, our own resources.
1:23:49
So it is imperative that this fund be increased.
1:23:53
It is imperative that it is prioritizing moving forward trans led organizations.
1:23:59
It is black history month.
1:24:00
We wouldn't be giving black money, right, to non black organizations.
1:24:04
So I think that we just need to be very clear and be intentional in the way that we're supporting our people, and also to in addition to that is to really reimagine the processes.
1:24:16
There's a lot of red tape, there's a lot of, you know, barriers, excuse me, that a lot of organizations have to try to hop around in order to receive those funds, so we need for those funds to be able to achieve in a very clear and transparent way moving forward.
1:24:33
And I also just want to say that it is at the end of the day, it is trans people that will come and fight for our community.
1:24:40
This entire room here is here because we are tired of being weighed to be told no.
1:24:46
We are tired of being sidelined.
1:24:48
We are tired of having to audition for empathy.
1:24:50
We're tired of having to prove our existence.
1:24:52
If there is money here for our city, we should be able to take that money and to provide for New Yorkers.
1:24:58
Shelter systems is not a solution.
1:25:00
Please.
1:25:01
It is a temporary fix.
1:25:02
And lastly, I'll just add another way out of time, but we are not wallpaper, and trans people cannot be wallpaper and be rolled over again and again and again.
Farah Louis
1:25:12
Thank you.
Qween Jean (she/her)
1:25:12
And if you're looking for where that 10,000,000 can come from, you can dismantle the ice squad, you can dismantle a lot of the NYPD SRG unit.
1:25:20
Right?
1:25:20
This year, literally $206,000,000 went into paying because of all of the abuse and the terror and the inappropriate behavior, misconduct of the NYPD, so it's innocent New Yorkers.
Farah Louis
1:25:34
Right.
Qween Jean (she/her)
1:25:34
So that $10,000,000 needs to happen I believe retroactively and immediately.
1:25:39
You.
1:25:39
I think you all
Farah Louis
1:25:40
Submit that in public testimony.
1:25:42
I really appreciate the diversity of this panel.
1:25:45
There's a physician.
1:25:46
All you all, I thank you all for your testimony today.
1:25:49
You have additional testimony, please submit it to the sergeant at arms or testimony at council dot n y c dot gov as well as the the budget ask.
1:25:58
Thank you so much.
Qween Jean (she/her)
1:25:59
Thank you so and I also I mean I know people were testifying for more than two minutes before this.