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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jason Cianciotto, Vice President of Public Policy & External Affairs at GMHC
8:28:35
ยท
150 sec
Jason Cianciotto from GMHC testifies about the organization's work, focusing on the Trans Equity Initiative (TEI) funding and the impact of federal actions against immigrants and TGNCNB individuals. He emphasizes the importance of TEI funding for transgender services and highlights the challenges faced by immigrant clients due to recent federal policies.
- 5% of GMHC's clients in 2024 were transgender, gender nonconforming, nonbinary, or questioning, which is higher than their representation in the general NYC population.
- TEI funds are used to hire transgender staff and provide essential services through GMHC's TGNC NB hub.
- GMHC is observing a concerning trend of immigrant clients disappearing from housing and missing HIV medical appointments due to fear of deportation.
Jason Cianciotto
8:28:35
Hello, chair, Schulman and Lee.
8:28:37
It's good to see you again.
8:28:39
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
8:28:42
I'm submitting written testimony that includes a lot of detail, including program metrics, keeping ourselves accountable to the incredible work that the city council enables GMHC to do through discretionary initiative funding.
8:28:56
I do wanna draw your attention to, one of those initiatives and one of our funding requests, the trans equity initiative.
8:29:03
There's been a very important community dialogue over, which organizations should receive TEI funding, what their leadership structure should look like in terms of trans representation, and how to go about, divvying up those funds.
8:29:20
As a cis white gay guy, it's not my place to be a part of those determinations for that community.
8:29:26
What I can share is that 5% of GMHC's clients in 2024 were transgender, gender nonconforming, nonbinary, or questioning.
8:29:36
That's a much higher percentage relative to their representation in the New York City population overall, which ranges between around 0.52% depending on who you ask.
8:29:47
So, many organizations who receive TEI funds are using them to, hire, trans identified staff, including GMHC, the case managers in GMHC's TGNC NB hub, which the TEI funds, are also transgender, and loss of funds would mean loss of services, that may not be available to clients until new services ramp up.
8:30:14
I also want to briefly discuss, the impacts that we're seeing of the federal actions against immigrants, TGNCMB people and others targeted.
8:30:27
We are seeing folks who are disappearing from our housing, folks who are immigrants, folks who are not turning up at their HIV medical appointments because they're afraid of being deployed.
UNKNOWN
8:30:40
Time's expired.
8:30:41
Thank you.
Lynn Schulman
8:30:41
Just just give a summary, Jason.
Jason Cianciotto
8:30:44
Thank you very much, for your continued focus on these populations affected, including the new initiative that you created to provide support to folks affected by these immigration actions.
8:30:55
I think that we could have some dialogue about what New York City and New York State could do should these cuts come down the pike, and I'd love to be a part of it with you.
8:31:03
Thanks again.
8:31:04
Have a wonderful evening.
Lynn Schulman
8:31:05
Thank you.