Opinion: Why New York needs the Trans Wellness and Equity Fund

Transgender and gender-nonconforming New Yorkers are facing a crisis. Yes, even here in New York state, the community is feeling the effects of the Trump administration’s torrent of anti-trans executive orders. These attacks are threatening transgender individuals’ fundamental rights, safety and access to health care.

We saw this coming: hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the country in recent years, including 489 in 2024 alone, the majority of which targeted trans youth.

Transgender individuals in the U.S. face nearly double the mortality risk compared to their cisgender counterparts, according to a 2022 study. Systemic barriers to health care, economic instability and targeted violence all contribute to these stark disparities. In 2023, 1 in 5 hate crimes recorded by the FBI were against LGBTQ+ people. Between 2017 and 2021, the number of trans individuals murdered in the U.S. doubled, with Black trans women most at risk.

This is why, in 2022, New York took a crucial step to address the unique needs of the transgender and gender-nonconforming community with the creation of the Lorena Borjas Transgender and Non-Binary Wellness and Equity Fund, a pioneering initiative providing essential services and resources to transgender and gender-nonconforming New Yorkers.

The fund has supported more than two dozen trans-led and trans-serving organizations across the state since its inception, investing about $12 million in health and human services, workforce development, legal support and more for transgender individuals.

But we must not stop there. As we finalize the state budget and fight back against a storm of discriminatory policies from Washington, D.C., it is imperative that we expand the equity fund to support trans New Yorkers and ensure our state remains a safe harbor for this community. It is our responsibility to safeguard and expand resources for these individuals. That’s why we’re leading the fight to increase the fund to $8 million annually.

Expanding its annual allocation to $8 million would make a world of a difference for the often severely underfunded organizations supporting trans New Yorkers. The additional funds would ensure programs designed for trans people are well resourced to provide services to and defend against attacks on trans communities.

For example, with the support of the equity fund, the New York Transgender Advocacy Group in New York City runs a three-month youth fellowship program providing trans and gender-expansive young people with training in leadership skills and advocacy, as well as an internship placement. Volunteer Lawyers Project of Central New York provides legal assistance to hundreds of trans individuals across 36 counties – increasingly important as the Trump administration has moved to intentionally misgender trans individuals on federal documents. And GLYS of Western New York launched a mental health support program for transgender and gender-nonconforming youth.

The demand for these programs is urgent and growing.

New York has long been a beacon for progress and inclusion, but we cannot take that status for granted. The federal assault on LGBTQ+ rights cannot be thought of as separate from the recent violence on the LGBTQ+ community, including what prosecutors allege was the murder and torture of Sam Nordquist, a Black trans man in upstate New York, and a suspect being charged in the deaths of Mickey Harmon and Jordan Celotto, a gay couple from Buffalo.The challenges facing LGBTQ+ people are not abstract – they manifest in very real ways, from barriers to health care and legal recognition to discrimination in employment, education and housing. The Lorena Borjas Transgender and Non-Binary Wellness and Equity Fund is a tangible, effective response to these challenges. It funds programs that uplift trans New Yorkers and ensures they are not left behind. It provides resources those individuals need not only to survive but to thrive.

The success stories of funded programs illustrate the profound impact of this initiative.

Whether those wins are a teenager finally seeing their gender identity and name affirmed on legal documents, a trans immigrant finding stable employment,or community advocates countering disinformation about trans individuals, the equity fund is making the Empire State a more just and equitable place to live.

New York has a responsibility to ensure the transgender community has access to the resources they need to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives. Expanding wellness and equity fund is an investment in the future of our state.