$4.4 Million Investment in Harlem SGL•LGBTQ Center to Build Safe and Culturally Affirming Programs
$1 Million for Workforce Development Programs for Organizations That Serve Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, and Non-Binary People
New Policy Guidance and Efforts To Help State Agencies Better Serve LGBTQ+ New Yorkers and Create an Inclusive Workplace
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a $5.4 million investment in the LGBTQ+ community in New York. The Harlem SGL•LGBTQ Center will receive $4.4 million to build safe and culturally affirming programs and services for LGBTQ+ residents, particularly LGBTQ+ people of color. Governor Hochul also announced a $1 million investment will be made available for workforce development programs for transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary people, once again expanding the Lorena Borjas Transgender and Non-Binary Wellness and Equity Fund. Governor Hochul also announced new policy guidance and efforts to help state agencies better serve LGBTQ+ New Yorkers and to create a more equitable and inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ state employees.
“Pride Month is a time of celebration and a reminder to continue in our efforts to uplift the rights of the LGBTQ+ community here in New York State,” Governor Hochul said. “New Yorkers of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions deserve to be safe, heard and valued. The State of New York stands with and supports the LGBTQ+ community.”
Investing in the Harlem SGL•LGBTQ Center – $4.4 million investment in the Harlem SGL•LGBTQ Center to provide a safe, culturally affirming environment to offer resources, programs and services, and to foster a sense of community for LGBTQ+ residents of New York City, particularly LGBTQ+ people of color and their families, friends, and allies.
The Harlem SGL•LGBTQ Center will provide a warm, inviting, and stigma-free atmosphere offering culturally competent medical treatment, mental health and social support services, legal referrals, life skills and career training, cultural programming and entrepreneurship classes, as well as internet and computer access.
Harlem Center President & CEO Carmen Neely said, “The Harlem SGL•LGBTQ Center project has been in the works since 2016 and we are happy and grateful that we will finally have a home. We can’t thank Governor Hochul, her team, and our NYC elected officials enough for their support. Harlem’s SGL LGBTQ+ community, family, friends, and allies will now be able to work together to provide the programs and services our Harlem and greater NYC residents need. This is the beginning of a new era and we are absolutely excited and ready to get to work!”
Supporting TGNCNB Workforce Development – Up to $1 million is being made available for workforce development programs specifically for organizations that serve transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary (TGNCNB) people. This funding further expands state agency funds serving the TGNCNB community. Governor Hochul’s administration has invested $12.25 million in total for the Lorena Borjas Transgender and Non-Binary Wellness and Equity Fund, continuing to build upon the state’s commitment to the TGNCNB community.
The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) will issue a formal solicitation in September. Any interested organizations are asked to complete this form to express interest in advance. By completing this form, NYSDOL staff can provide technical assistance to help organizations prepare for the grant application process.
The Request for Applications will solicit organizations to create or expand programs that help qualify TGNCNB individuals for employment or for increased wages. Programs that could receive funding include, but will not be limited to, occupational skills training, career development services and work readiness, employability, and job retention skills. Organizations that are led and/or staffed by TGNCNB individuals will be given extra points in the scoring process as they are best equipped to handle the unique needs of the TGNCNB community. The application process is expected to close in late October.
This program follows the release of NYSDOL’s 2023 TGNCNB Employment Report, which found that community relationships and skill development are key to enhancing TGNCNB individuals’ economic mobility.
New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, “I applaud Governor Hochul for continuing to advance nation-leading efforts to ensure equity for all New Yorkers, including the LGBTQ+ community. The New York State Department of Labor is proud to support quality workforce development programs so transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary New Yorkers get the skills they need to be part of our robust economy.”
Nation-Leading Guidance on the Collection of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Demographic Data – Accurate data on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) is vital for State agencies to make informed decisions and provide high-quality services to LGBTQ+ New Yorkers. In 2023, Governor Hochul signed into law S.3225/A.358 requiring that New York State agencies, boards and commissions that directly or by contract collect demographic data as to the ancestry or ethnic origin of residents of the State of New York use, to the extent practicable, separate collection categories and tabulations for sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. The law also calls for New York State to issue guidance for State agencies to utilize in their implementation and compliance with the law.
Governor Hochul today released New York State’s guidance for the collection of sexual orientation and gender identity data from New York State residents. The guidance summarizes the latest research and best practices in this area and will enable State agencies to better understand the utilization of State programs by LGBTQ+ communities and the disparities that exist, with the goal to improve service delivery and reduce barriers to access.
Additionally, Governor Hochul released New York State’s gender inclusive language policy guidance, which instructs agencies on best practices in the use of accurate gender neutral language when drafting agency materials like web content, reports, policies, rules, regulations, proposed legislation, and other documents.
Empowering New York State Employees to Use Chosen Names – In order to further ensure that New York State government is an affirming and inclusive workplace for all employees, including LGBTQ+ individuals, Governor Hochul announced a new policy to strengthen the ability for State employees to utilize a first name other than their legal first name, also known as a “Chosen Name,” in certain systems and records related to their State employment. The policy also expands the systems and records in which a chosen name can be used to state employee ID badges and the Statewide Learning Management System.
This builds on Governor Hochul’s commitment to making it easier for New Yorkers to have documents and records that accurately reflect their identities. For just over two years, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles has offered New Yorkers the ability to select X as the gender marker on their licenses, permits, and identity documents, with approximately 5,200 New Yorkers selecting a gender X marker so far.
Strengthening LGBTQ+ Inclusive Domestic Violence Programs – The LGBTQ+ Endorsement Program, first announced by Governor Hochul as a pilot in June 2022, is dedicated to operationalizing New York State’s values and commitment to LGBTQ+ survivors of gender-based violence. This month, the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) is announcing that all five OCFS-approved domestic violence programs participating in the pilot — Barrier Free Living, BHSN STOP Domestic Violence, Family Counseling Services of the Finger Lakes, The Safe Center LI, and YWCA Northeast New York — have been endorsed by OPDV as LGBTQ+ inclusive, having met certain LGBTQ+ program standards. As the next step in ensuring all LGBTQ+ survivors have access to affirming services, OPDV will open the endorsement program to any OCFS-licensed residential domestic violence service providers and from OCFS-recognized non-residential domestic violence service providers.
Supporting LGBTQ+ Older Adults – Nearly three million LGBTQ+ people are age 50 and older in the U.S., and that figure will grow to nearly seven million by 2030. To improve support for LGBTQ+ people and older adults, Governor Hochul announced the Office for the Aging’s updated LGBTQ+ Resource Guide For Older Adults and Aging Services Networks. The resource guide includes background on the unique service needs of LGBTQ+ older adults, along with a comprehensive statewide directory of over 200 organizations who specialize in LGBTQ+-inclusive services.
