?? Ahead of Governor Hochul’s 2025 State of the State Address: A Vision for LGBTQ+ Equity in New York ??

?? Ahead of Governor Hochul’s 2025 State of the State Address: A Vision for LGBTQ+ Equity in New York ??

As Governor Kathy Hochul prepares to outline her vision for New York, The Center’s focus on advancing equity and opportunity for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers remains critical. Here’s what NYS can to do support this work:

1?? Prioritize Mental Health Support for LGBTQ+ People

?? Mental health challenges disproportionately impact our community.

• LGB adults are over twice as likely to face mental health conditions, while Transgender individuals are nearly four times as likely.
• 68% of LGBTQ+ youth report symptoms of generalized anxiety, including over 75% of transgender and nonbinary youth.

The Center is launching a Mental Health Clinic that will provide long-term, culturally competent care, wraparound services, and youth-focused support starting at age 13. This new, community centric model will be accessible to LGBTQ+ New Yorkers across the state?

2?? Support Economic Justice for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers

?? Economic disparities remain stark:

• LGBTQ+ workers earn just 90 cents for every dollar earned by typical workers, with LGBTQ+ people of color and TGNCNB individuals earning even less.
• The NYS Department of Labor reports significant employment barriers for TGNCNB New Yorkers.

?We urge NYS l to prioritize economic-justice programs tailored to support LGBTQ+ job seekers,such as The Center’s CenterWorks initiative.

3?? Strengthen Protections & Combat Discrimination

?? Preserving hard-fought LGBTQ+ rights is essential. Support for our community means strengthening commitments to:

• Passing the Repeal STI Discrimination Act to eliminate archaic laws criminalizing people living with HIV.
• Updating the New York State Shield Law to protect providers of reproductive and gender-affirming care from out-of-state claims.

4?? Expand Affordable Housing for LGBTQ+ People

?? Housing security is a pressing issue for our community. Policies like the Housing Voucher Access Program could make a meaningful difference for LGBTQ+ individuals facing disproportionate housing barriers.

New York has long been a beacon for LGBTQ+ equality. The Center will continue to work alongside our champions in government to ensure a? more inclusive and equitable New York.