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Q&A
Discussion on federal cuts to LGBTQ+ organizations
1:48:57
·
155 sec
Council Member Lynn C. Schulman inquires about federal cuts to LGBTQ+ organizations. Bryan Ellicott-Cook from SAGE provides information on their organization's experience with federal funding cuts and the impact on LGBTQ+ older adults.
- SAGE lost funding for an international program and two staff members
- Other LGBTQ+ organizations are also experiencing cuts
- Schulman requests a compiled list of affected organizations
- Emphasis on the importance of these services for older LGBTQ+ adults
Lynn C. Schulman
1:48:57
Yes.
1:48:57
And before I get to my question, I want to thank chairs, Ressler and Brannen, for holding this very important hearing today.
1:49:04
I want to thank you.
1:49:04
I am an older adult, so FYI, everybody.
Gale A. Brewer
1:49:09
So,
Lynn C. Schulman
1:49:13
Ryan, I wanted to ask you specifically.
1:49:16
I keep hearing from LGBTQ plus organizations that they're getting cut, like, directly from the federal government.
1:49:23
Are you aware of who they are and where they are?
Bryan Ellicott-Cook
1:49:26
So we're one of the organizations that was federally cut.
1:49:30
We had an international program.
1:49:33
We partnered up with older, you know, LGBT adults across the world to share their stories because unlike The United States Of America, those stories are also not told.
1:49:46
We've lost two staffers.
1:49:48
We got one of those nasty federal letters that said, you know, your funding is being terminated, and it's because you're an LGBTQ plus organization.
1:49:59
And we know others are have as well.
1:50:02
We also they tried to pause some of our older adult our OAA money.
1:50:07
We were able to file a lawsuit with Democracy Forward and pause that for some of the foreseeable future.
1:50:16
But, yes, we are seeing that directly at SAGE and from others as well.
Lynn C. Schulman
1:50:21
Because particularly as an older adult who is a member of the LGBTQ plus community, you know, that's super important.
1:50:29
And I also, I think maybe if you guys can or get together with the other organizations and pull together a list of what's being cut directly versus some other things, I think that would be helpful to us as You think?
1:50:43
As council members.
Bryan Ellicott-Cook
1:50:44
I think the So the coalition that one of the coalitions we sit on I think Kat's here somewhere.
Emma Bessire
1:50:50
Hi.
Bryan Ellicott-Cook
1:50:52
We collect some of that information already.
Lynn C. Schulman
1:50:54
I'll Like, I've heard I've heard from separate from this, I've heard from the door.
1:50:58
I've heard from GMHC.
1:51:00
I've heard from a number of others that there's, like, very deep cuts.
Bryan Ellicott-Cook
1:51:04
And I would also say with the cuts, and I don't think I need to tell anybody this, that the people who do this work are usually also LGBTQ plus identified.
1:51:13
So we are stressed.
1:51:14
We are scared.
Philip Duncan
1:51:14
We
Bryan Ellicott-Cook
1:51:14
are Yeah.
1:51:15
Sometimes multitasking, and that's something that the city should also try to assist with.
Lynn C. Schulman
1:51:22
Okay.
1:51:22
No.
1:51:22
So we're here for you.
1:51:24
Thank you very much for your compelling testimony and really appreciate it, and we'll see what we can figure out.
1:51:31
Thank you.