Why Community-Based Resources Are Vital

Note: Discrimination against lesbians and gay men also often affects bisexual and transgendered individuals. Because this discrimination results from the same prejudices, and has the same negative effects, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered individuals frequently face similar barriers. For the purposes of this report, the terms "lesbian and gay," "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered," and the initials "LGBT" may be used interchangeably.

he social, economic, and health-related challenges outlined in this report have been created by many years of discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered individuals. This discrimination and its affects will not be easily reversed. New York State, however, is fortunate to have a number of tightly focused, community-based resources that are working every day to overcome the barriers to quality health and social services for LGBT individuals. These programs are effective and deserve continued and expanded support.

Discrimination against LGBT New Yorkers impacts every part of our lives:

• Economically, LGBT individuals are vulnerable to job discrimination, workplace harassment, and the inability to secure family health benefits.
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people are less likely to receive preventive health care and more likely to suffer from a number of health problems, many of them preventable.
• LGBT individuals are many times more likely to be the victims of violent crime and assault.
• Because LGBT New Yorkers lack certain basic legal protections, we can lose our jobs or our housing for no other reason than because we are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered -- and we have no legal recourse.
• Discrimination against LGBT people remains a reality in medical settings, where healthcare should be the only priority. New York State is home to only a handful of medical facilities that expressly serve and welcome lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered people.
• Frequently overlooked groups of LGBT people, including youth, the elderly, people of color, and immigrants, are particularly poorly served by mainstream health and social service providers, and are particularly vulnerable.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The New York State Lesbian and Gay Health and Human Services Network is a forty member coalition of institutions and organizations from across the state that provide healthcare and support services to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals.

In response to extensive, statewide research of the health and social welfare challenges facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered New Yorkers, the Lesbian and Gay Health and Human Services Network makes the following recommendations:

A. Have Governor Pataki convene a multi-agency task force to:

1. Enhance awareness of and expand access to services for LGBT New Yorkers.
   • Include LGBT people in the definition of underserved populations and in the definition of cultural competency.
     Official state documents such as Request for Proposals, service request forms, intake questionnaires, and program evaluation reports rarely, if at all, refer to the service needs of the LGBT population.
     
     
   • Review existing state rules and regulations to identify and revise those creating unnecessary barriers to serving LGBT people.
     Many state rules and regulations inadvertently create barriers to the ability of providers to serve the needs of LGBT people.
     
     
   • Recognize that some organizations may need additional assistance in order to strengthen their infrastructure, as well as additional help in contract negotiation, management and evaluation.
     Many organizations serving the LGBT community with legitimate, accessible and innovative responses to community needs may be in the early stages of evolving from a non-direct focus (policy, advocacy and civil rights) to direct service provision and, thus, may have limited experience administering public contracts.
     
     
2. 2. Expand funding streams and financial support for organizations serving the LGBT community.
   • Provide permanent funding in the budget for the $1 million lesbian and gay health and human services initiative and provide an additional $5 million for appropriation in SFY 1999-2000 to agencies which include: the State Department of Health, Office of the Aging, Office of Children and Family Services, Division of Criminal Justice Services, Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Office of Mental Health, State Education Department, and Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence.
     The lesbian and gay health and human services initiative provided $1 million to the Department of Health for eleven community-based organizations across the state which serve the needs of LGBT people. In order to ensure the long-term success and survival of these programs and others which provide similar services, it is important to expand and diversify this funding to additional agencies.
     
     
   • Fund in full the request by the New York AIDS Coalition for $100 million in SFY 1999-2000 to increase funding for community-based AIDS service organizations which provide psychosocial support, nutritional services, prevention education, employment training and placement services, home health care, and temporary and permanent housing.

   B. Have Governor Pataki sign the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination (SONDA) and Hate Crimes Bills upon passage by the Legislature.

   C. Have the Majority and Minority Leaders of the State Legislature appoint task forces in their respective houses to:

   1. Identify ways to protect lesbian and gay New Yorkers and their families. The Legislature should act to expand legal recognition of LGBT relationships and families.
      Existing state laws provide no protection for LGBT people or their relationships or families. Yet, ample opportunity exists for the Legislature to review existing laws to identify those which have a significant impact on LGBT relationships and families - areas such as insurance, inheritance, pensions and adoption.
      
      
   2. Pass and enforce laws which provide strong protections to New Yorkers covered under the state’s managed care law. The Legislature must pass laws which guarantee all New Yorkers affordable, accessible and quality health care.
      Denial of claims, refusal of treatment, turning patients away, and skyrocketing insurance premiums have become commonplace under managed care. Those New Yorkers who fear discrimination – LGBT, the poor, and immigrants – are doubly penalized under this system.
      
      
   3. Pass and enforce laws protecting LGBT youth from harassment and intimidation in their schools. The Legislature must pass a law guaranteeing every student the right to attend schools safe from violence.
      LGBT young people are routinely harassed and intimidated and the victims of assault in grade schools, high schools and colleges across the state.
      
      

   D. The State Legislature should also:

   1. Pass the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Bill and the Bias Related Violence Bill. The Legislature must pass legislation which prohibits anti-gay discrimination and legislation which enhances penalties for violent crimes motivated by bias based upon a victim’s race, religion, color, national origin, sex/gender, disability, age or sexual orientation.
      There are no statewide legal protections prohibiting discrimination against lesbians and gay men in New York. This bill is necessary to ensure that lesbians and gay men have an equal right to keep our jobs, homes, access to all public services, and to otherwise contribute fully to society. Lesbians and gay men are among the primary targets of hate crimes in this state. Though assault and other violent acts are already criminalized, this bill acknowledges the specific horror of violence and intimidation which is based upon bias, prejudice and hatred. This bill would enhance criminal penalties for these types of crimes.
      
      
   2. Provide permanent funding of $1 million in the budget for the lesbian and gay health and human services initiative and provide an additional $5 million for appropriation in SFY 1999-2000 to agencies which include: the State Department of Health, Office of the Aging, Office of Children and Family Services, Division of Criminal Justice Services, Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Office of Mental Health, State Education Department, and the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence.
      
      
   3. Fund in full the request by the New York AIDS Coalition for $100 million in SFY 1999-2000 to increase funding for community-based AIDS service organizations which provide psychosocial support, nutritional services, prevention education, employment training and placement services, home health care, and temporary and permanent housing.