Statement: NEW Pride Agenda Applauds Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Investments in TGNB & LGBTQ+ New Yorkers
Contact:
Max Schulman, max@anatgerstein.com, 347-861-4167
NEW Pride Agenda Applauds Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani’s Investments in TGNB & LGBTQ+ New Yorkers
Organization welcomes Governor’s expansion of the Trans Wellness and Equity Fund and investment in LGBTQ+ youth crisis and legal services, Mayor’s $15 million investment in gender-affirming care
(June 29, 2026) –– The NEW Pride Agenda, New York State's leading LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, issued the following statement from Executive Director Kei Williams applauding New York State Governor Kathy Hochul's announcement of investments in LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, including the state’s additional $500,000 for the Transgender & Nonbinary Wellness and Equity Fund (TWEF), $500,000 for an LGBTQ+ legal hotline, and $1.8 million for LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Crisis Counseling Services, and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s $15 million investment in gender-affirming care for youth and adults:
“As we close out Pride Month, these investments carry profound significance. This year, New York lost two extraordinary pioneers of transgender justice: Kiara St. James, whose leadership helped secure the very Lorena Borjas Transgender & Nonbinary Wellness and Equity Fund we celebrate today, and Victoria Cruz, whose lifelong advocacy transformed countless lives. We honor their legacy by ensuring their work continues.
“So at a time when the federal government is escalating attacks on LGBTQ+ people, Governor Hochul’s decision to strengthen investments in transgender and gender nonbinary New Yorkers is both timely and deeply meaningful. Equally vital is Mayor Mamdani’s infusion of $15 million into gender-affirming care, a direct response to the Trump administration’s legal harassment campaign against the life-saving treatment. As the home of the modern day LGBTQ+ civil rights movement, New York has a responsibility not only to celebrate our history, but to make lasting, structural investments that improve the lives of our communities.
“These victories belong to transgender New Yorkers, advocates, service providers, and coalition partners whose grassroots organizing made them possible. They remind us that civic engagement and grassroots organizing have the power to shape meaningful public policy. In the face of attempts to divide our communities, we know that when we organize, we win.
“Today’s announcement is meaningful progress, but our continued work is more critical than ever. We owe the pioneers who came before us — and the generations still to come — our unwavering commitment to building a New York where transgender and gender nonbinary people can thrive. NEW Pride Agenda looks forward to continuing our partnership with state leaders to expand access to care, strengthen protections, and invest in trans-led organizations so that our state remains not only the home of Stonewall, but a national leader in advancing transgender justice.”
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