Trans New Yorkers largely left wanting after the state budget

Amid federal attacks on transgender people and their access to gender-related healthcare, LGBTQ+ advocates were left shocked that the state budget did not include a new trans healthcare fund. And Gov. Hochul left folks scratching their heads after announcing a $500,000 fiscal bump to an existing fund on Friday with no additional information that isn't reflected on the enacted spending plan.

Activists had pushed for the creation of a gender-affirming care fund as part of this year’s budget, which would be allocated directly to healthcare providers and organizations offering trans health care, rather than through nonprofits. They requested at least $8 million go into the fund. The idea was to assist New Yorkers at a time when the Trump administration has taken aim at access to care by threatening to pull hospital funding from those providing it. NYU Langone made headlines earlier this year when it suspended gender-affirming care for minors. 

The Assembly included the full $8 million requested for the fund as part of its one-house budget proposal, and the state Senate proposed $4 million, leaving advocates optimistic that it would land in the final budget. But Hochul didn't have the money as part of her executive budget proposal, and the final version didn't include it, either. 

“Overall, the response and the lack of funding is shocking and disheartening,” said Kei Williams, executive director of the New Pride Agenda. They said that advocates were “proud and hopeful” when they saw the one-house allocations. Williams also suggested that politicians may be antsy around the specific phrasing of “gender-affirming care” funding given the national climate.

A person familiar with negotiations told City & State that budget talks about the gender-affirming care fund went down to the wire, and it was one of the last things up in the air before the Health and Mental Hygiene budget bill was printed. The person said the governor was resistant to including the money as a typical line item, and instead let the Legislature decide whether to use its own discretionary funds to create the program. That ultimately didn’t happen. 

A spokesperson for the governor defended Hochul’s commitment to the LGBTQ+ community. “Since taking office, Governor Hochul has been a strong advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, investing $15M in funding for transgender and non-binary wellness and equity,” spokesperson Nicolette Simmonds said in a statement. “The Governor remains committed to protecting and expanding the health and well-being of all New Yorkers while working to eliminate disparities, supporting health equity across the state.”

As a show of that support, Hochul announced on Friday (at a closed-press Pride brunch that wasn’t part of her public schedule) that she would invest an additional $500,000 into the Lorena Borjas Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund. According to Williams and another attendee, Hochul specifically cited President Donald Trump’s attacks on trans people and a means to honor trans trailblazing activists like Kiara St. James, who died earlier this year. 

Except Hochul didn’t put out a press release following the announcement, nor did she elaborate on where that money would come from. The enacted state budget kept the annual cash for that fund flat – $4.75 million between the executive chamber and legislative discretionary dollars. Hochul announced a $500,000 bump to her office’s contributions last year, so Friday’s announcement left advocates unsure if she was simply confirming that as a recurring investment, or if Hochul was committing to increasing the annual funds to $5.25 million.

A spokesperson for Hochul didn’t address that announcement when asked directly about the funding.

LGBTQ+ activists have also turned their attention to the New York City budget as they implore Mayor Zohran Mamdani to make good on his campaign pledge of $65 million to expand access to and support organizations that provide gender-affirming care. The money wasn’t included as part of his executive budget.