Mayor Bloomberg Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is for LGBT Youth

by Maia Spotts

New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg this week became yet another elected official to submit an empowering, impassioned video to Dan Savage's "It Gets Better" project. In the short video, the Mayor is his usual get-down-to-business self, with a simple message for LGBT youth: New York City wants you. “We need you. We need your enthusiasm, your ideas, your passion, and your talents.” As far as "It Gets Better" videos go, it was pretty good. Except for one little thing.

Six weeks ago, Mayor Bloomberg's office drastically slashed funding to help house homeless LGBT youth in New York City. The cuts pulled nearly $1 million from the Ali Forney Center, the nation's largest housing project for LGBT youth. And other centers and programs around the city found their funding cut in half, or simply disposed of all together.

So Bloomberg's video left many scratching their heads. At once the Mayor was inviting disowned, kicked-out, in-the-dumps LGBT youth to come to New York City, where they could be "who they are supposed to be" and flourish, while systematically crushing a large part of their support system once they arrived. It seemed, well, totally hypocritical and immensely illogical.

Carl Siciliano, director of the Ali Forney Center, blasted the Mayor this week for his seeming lip service to the gay community. And that criticism, along with weeks of pressure from activists, homeless LGBT youth and a massive campaign by City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to reinstate the funding, did the trick.

This morning the City Council announced that it would restore full funding to LGBT homeless programs, including street outreach and drop-in centers. It's an amazing victory for LGBT youth in New York City. And a real testament to the power of focused activism.

Photo credit: Office of the Mayor

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Gay Youth Center Director Slams Bloomberg

By Julie Bolcer

Carl Siciliano, the executive director of the Ali Forney Center, which provides shelter and other services for homeless LGBTQ youths in New York City, criticized Mayor Michael Bloomberg for releasing an “It Gets Better” video while cutting support for homeless young people in the budget.

In a statement reported on Towleroad, Siciliano expressed anger at Mayor Bloomberg, who released a video Tuesday urging youths who feel unwanted to come to New York City, where he said they would be accepted. Siciliano contrasted that message with the reality of the budget cuts.

”Two days after slashing support to homeless youth programs in New York City, Mayor Bloomberg has the gall to release a video telling LGBT youth that 'It Gets Better,’” said Siciliano. “Mayor Bloomberg, your cruel and reckless cuts to the meager support system for homeless LGBT youth in New York City just made things for them much worse! On January 1st, Bloomberg cut support for outreach to homeless youth in half, cut most drop-in centers for homeless youth by a third, and cut support for the two LGBT homeless youth drop-in programs in half. In New York City there are over 1,000 LGBT youth suffering on the streets every night without access to safe shelter. The drop-in centers and outreach are their only support. Homeless LGBT youth are at incredible risk of suicide with 62% reporting that they have considered or attempted suicide.”

Read the full statement here.

Watch Mayor Bloomberg's "It Gets Better" video below.



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