Ali Forney Center Breaks Ground On Residence Named For Bea Arthur

Via press release:

On Monday, July 20, 2015, there will be a groundbreaking ceremony for the Bea Arthur Residence, an 18-bed residence for homeless LGBT youth operated by the Ali Forney Center. In 2012 the New York City Council and the Manhattan Borough President awarded $3,300,000 for the renovation of a long vacant building owned by the New York City Department of Housing and Preservation Development. The building has now been turned over to the Ali Forney Center in partnership with Cooper Square Committee, and renovations are beginning this month. It is anticipated that the building will begin to provide housing by the end of 2016.

Bea Arthur gave one of her final public performances as a benefit for the Ali Forney Center in 2005. She was very upset to learn that hundreds of thousands of LGBT teens were rejected by their families, and driven to homelessness. She said that she would do anything in her power to help these teens. When she died in 2009 the Ali Forney Center learned that she had bequeathed $300,000 to us in her will. At that time, Carl Siciliano, the Executive Director of the Ali Forney Center, pledged that the first building they owned would be named in her memory.

The groundbreaking will be attended by state and city political leaders and by the staff and clients of the Ali Forney Center.

Fame Or Shame: A Short Documentary About Harlem Hate Pastor James Manning

Lindsay Lohan Completes Community Service At NYC's Ali Forney Center

Via People:

After nearly eight years in and out of the court room, Lindsay Lohan can finally say good riddance to probation. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mark Young ruled on Thursday that the actress – who was not present at the hearing – has completed her mandatory community service hours stemming from a 2012 reckless driving case, according to the Associated Press. "I am very grateful to those at Brooklyn Community Services, Duffield and The Ali Forney Center for welcoming me into their services and allowing me to finish my court ordered Community Service hours," Lohan tells PEOPLE in a statement.

Ali Forney Center founder Carl Siciliano writes to us: "Lindsay Lohan spent five days volunteering at the Ali Forney Center in order to complete her community service requirements. She worked at our drop-in center and at our office, rearranging our donations and storage closets, and assembling 400 gift bags, as well as a number of other assorted tasks. She was a hard worker, was friendly, and showed concern for the plight of the youths we serve. It's definitely not every day that we have a superstar folding socks and underwear for our kids!"

New From The Ali Forney Center

Clip recap:

This video is a portrayal of the horrific reality many of our clients experience upon coming out to their parents. Tragically many report being met with physical violence and even more abusive scenarios. Statistically, more than half of homeless youth are propositioned for sex within 72 hours of being on the streets; for many of them this is their primary form of survival. At the Ali Forney Center we help young people overcome the trauma of being rejected by their families and the subsequent trauma of having to fend for themselves on the streets.

Holiday donations can be made here.

Guest Post: Carl Siciliano

"We won't have a faggot in our house."

Those are the words M heard after his mother died of cancer. He was 16. His mom had loved and accepted him. But not his aunt and uncle. They took in his little brother, but left M to fend for himself in the streets.

M lived in a town in Florida that had no youth shelter. He and about 20 other homeless kids slept on the floor of an unlocked building in the town park. He used his knapsack with his school books and his toothbrush and deodorant inside as his pillow. Those were the good nights. The bad nights were when the police chased them out. On those nights he tried to sleep in an abandoned lot, hidden in the weeds. Those nights his allergies tormented him; his eyes and throat swelled, and he struggled to breath.

No matter what kind of night he had, M went to school every day. He did it to honor the memory of his mom, who said she would kick his butt in the afterlife if he didn't get an education. Despite the soul-shattering hardships he endured, he graduated at 18.

"As soon as I get the chance, I'm going to kill you, you fucking faggot."

Those are the words one of M's friends heard when he walked through the courtyard into the youth shelter where most of the beds for New York City's homeless youths are located. Despite local and federal regulations that mandate that youth shelters be in homelike environments with no more than 20 beds, NYC has crowded hundreds of kids into that shelter. Many LGBT kids report being bashed and harassed by the numerous gang members who stay there. M came to New York City after he graduated from high school, and tried to stay at there. But after being attacked too many times he ended up sleeping in the subways.

I met M the day he moved into one of the Ali Forney Center's homelike shelters after sleeping in the subways for six months. That was a really good day for M. He has had some wonderful days since; like the day he was accepted into college, and the day he got hired for his job counseling other teens. Those were good days for the Ali Forney Center as well, as have the been the joyful days in recent months when over 40 of our youths in our new job training program have been hired.

But we have had some really bad days. Since the federal sequestration and it's vast cuts we have lost about $1 Million in government funding. I have been struggling to pay our rents and our food bills, and keep our programs going. I don't sleep in a vacant lot, but I have had more than my share of sleepless nights worrying about the future of the Ali Forney Center.

But in the end I trust we will go forward. Our work of housing and protecting homeless LGBT youths must survive and grow. Too many of the LGBT kids we care for have endured cruelty, violence and contempt in their homes and in other shelters. Over 1,300 kids a year from across our country rely on the Ali Forney Center to provide a home where they are protected and accepted for who they are. I trust that our work will go on, because I trust in the goodness of our community. I was very frightened after Hurricane Sandy destroyed our drop-in center, and yet so many in our community showed me that they would stand by our us in our devastation. The sequestration is a different kind of storm, a storm made by cruel politics, not weather. But no less devastating, especially for the poorest, most vulnerable youths of our community.

I thank Joe, and all of the members of the JoeMyGod community for standing by us with kindness and generosity for many years. Once again, I ask that you stand by us and our youths in a difficult time. Happy Thanksgiving!

NOTE FROM JOE: I'd like to echo Carl's thanks to the JMG community. Carl gives a lovely shout-out to you folks every year at the Ali Forney Center's annual fundraiser, as so many of you have been so very generous over all these years. It's a wonderfully proud moment for me. If you are considering make a donation this year, you can do that here. You can also make donations on PayPal by using this email: mramos@aliforneycenter.org.

In addition, there's an AFC's campaign at IndieGoGo, where "perks" are awarded at various donation levels. The top donation level gets you lunch with famed Brat Pack actress Ally Sheedy, one of Ali Forney's most ardent supporters. Again, thanks so VERY much to all you. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, whether you celebrate with your biological family, or as Armistead Maupin famously calls it, your logical one.

RELATED: The Ali Forney Center's financial records are viewable here.

HARLEM: Activists To Fundraise For Ali Forney In Response To Hate Church

On December 3rd, Harlem Against Violence & Homophobia will hold a fundraising event for the Ali Forney Center in response to the continuing attacks on the LGBT community by crackpot Pastor James David Manning, whose church is on the same street as Ali Forney's drop-in center for homeless LGBT youth.

“We can’t sit back and ignore the hateful words on the ATLAH sign,” said Harlem resident Stacy Parker Le Melle, organizer for Harlem Against Violence, Homophobia and Transphobia, the community group comprised of local residents working together to resist ATLAH’s hate speech. “We are trying to help those easily hurt by ATLAH’s messaging, the youth who have been pushed out of their homes due to family rejection, much of it religious-based,” said Le Melle. “We want a neighborhood safe and welcoming for all.”

For their second benefit night, the Harlem residents group will screen Brother Outsider, an award-winning documentary of the life of marginalized civil rights titan Bayard Rustin. Special guests include filmmakers Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer, and Mr. Rustin’s longtime partner Walter Naegle.

"Bayard Rustin spent his life working to build bridges between communities. He sought to heal racial, ethnic, and religious division and he did so in the spirit of love and reconciliation," said Walter Naegle. "Today, our world is still plagued by such strife and thus his work and message is more relevant than ever in seeking to build a just and equal society. 'No Time for Hate,' is a perfect opportunity to carry forth this message."

Hit the link for more information and tickets to the screening.

October 24th: Ali Forner Center Gala

The Ali Forney Center will hold its annual fundraising gala on October 24th in lower Manhattan. Comedian and Orange Is The New Black cast member Lea Delaria will be the evening's host. Get tickets here.

Donations Pour In For Daniel Pierce

Early yesterday morning I posted the video of 20 year-old Georgia resident Daniel Pierce, who recorded his family as they verbally and physically abused him for being gay. Since then the clip has gone wildly viral with over 2 million views. The story has been picked up by the national press, fueling donations that stand at over $52K at this writing.

Pierce confirmed the video's details to the Huffington Post on Thursday, adding that he initially came out to his parents in October. But when his father, stepmother and grandparents attempted to stage a "delayed intervention" on Wednesday, things quickly went awry, which resulted in Pierce being attacked, disowned and thrown out of his house. "You're full of shit," Pierce's stepmother can be heard saying in the video. "You told me on the phone that you made that choice. You know you wasn't born that way. You know damn good and well you made that choice. You know that [your father] has done everything he can to raise you. ... He didn't need to blame himself." "Their reaction was pretty much expected [once] I chose to leave instead of pray because they have always been very vocal about not supporting the gay lifestyle," Pierce told the Huffington Post. "My [stepmother's] reaction was the most surprising and hurtful." Sadly, Pierce's story is not unique. While Pierce has confirmed that he is now safely staying with supportive friends and family members, there are many LGBT youths in America who face even more unfortunate circumstances. A 2012 study by UCLA's Williams Institute found that around 40% of homeless youths identify as LGBT, many of them having been rejected or abused by their family members over their gender or sexual orientation.

While Pierce appears to be in safe hands now, countless other LGBT youth remain in peril. Please consider supporting the Ali Forney Center or a similar organization near you.

KICKSTARTER: Documentary On LGBT Youth Homelessness For Ali Forney Center

From the Kickstarter page:

Road to Home will follow a half dozen young LGBT people who turned to the streets after being rejected by their families. Having been in production for the last year, we have met a number of people who have allowed us into their lives and have agreed to be filmed. Through the use of observational footage, we will intimately trace their journeys as they traverse the street life—from the blistering heat of summer to the frigid nights of winter—moving from shelter to shelter and fighting just to survive.

However, our goal is not to simply wring our hands at a social problem. Throughout production, we worked closely with the Ali Forney Center, a NYC organization tasked with helping LGBT homeless youth. By using the Ali Forney Center as a springboard into this complex world, we have been able to work with people dedicated to making a difference. It is our goal not only to tell a powerful dramatic story, but also to create a film that will motivate people to do something about a critical social problem.

Donate at the link.

JMG T-Shirt Models: Dan Savage & Hubby

Dan Savage and his husband Terry Miller were among a handful of folks who were sent advance JMG t-shirts by Pride Magazine. I'm told the first round of orders has been shipped so we'll be posting your JMG shirt selfies all week. NOTE: Terry has altered his shirt - they all do come with sleeves.

JMG T-Shirt Model: Carl Siciliano

Since $5 from the sale of every JMG t-shirt goes to the Ali Forney Center, it's only appropriate that our first model is AFC founder Carl Siciliano, seen here with his pet pig Sophie, who has her own Facebook page.  Get your own shirt here - you don't get a pet pig, but you do get a copy of the 2014 national issue of Pride Magazine.

RELATED: Last Wednesday I attended the opening ceremony for AFC's new drop-in center in Harlem, where Carl began his speech by thanking the JMG community for your amazing generosity after AFC's main offices were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.

JMG T-Shirt Give Away

Courtesy of the folks at Pride Magazine, we have three JMG t-shirts to give away tonight. Enter to win by commenting on this post. Only enter once and please remember to leave an email address in the text of your comment. Entries close at noon tomorrow, east coast time. (Don't worry, only the winners will be contacted.)

UPDATE: Entries are now closed. Winners will be notified shortly.

REGULAR ORDERING UPDATE:  Two new designs have been added. Each shirt comes with the 2014 issue of Pride Magazine, which this year celebrates the first decade of marriage equality in the United States. But perhaps best of all, each purchase includes a $5 donation to the Ali Forney Center, New York City's homeless shelter for LGBT youth. JMG shirts are available in black or white and are a super-comfy poly/cotton blend. Mixed fibers! Yay, Leviticus! The shirts come in men's and women's sizes up to 3XL. When you get your shirt, send us a photo and we'll post your sexy selfies right here.

Tonight In New York City

Details.

Harlem's Hate Church Has New Message

Pastor David Manning, who earlier brought you "Jesus Would Stone Homos," last night posted the above message on his Harlem billboard, which is just steps away from the Apollo Theater tribute to Maya Angelou. Much more chillingly, also just down the street is the brand new Harlem drop-in shelter for the Ali Forney Center, which had its grand opening last night. Probably not coincidentally, Manning's June 2nd meeting is the same day as Ali Forney's rally for more beds for homeless LGBT youth.

NEW YORK CITY: Rally For Homeless LGBT Youth Shelters On Monday June 2nd

Via press release:

National Campaign for Youth Shelter calls for 22,000 beds for homeless youth: The Ali Forney Center and the National Coalition for the Homeless have released the list of speakers for the LGBT Rally for Homeless Youth, to be held in Washington Square Park at 6pm on Monday June 2nd. The National Campaign for Youth Shelter New York City rally will launch the campaign as a priority within the LGBT movement. LGBT youth are disproportionately over-represented in the homeless youth population, with as many as 40% of the nation's homeless youth being LGBT, while only 5% of the overall youth population is LGBT. Currently, there are only approximately 4,000 youth shelter beds in the United States, yet as many as 500,000 unaccompanied youths experience homelessness each year. The Master of Ceremonies for the rally will be ballroom legend, star of Paris Is Burning, and former homeless LGBT Youth Junior Labeija.

The list of speakers includes Edith Windsor, David Mixner, Cathy Marino-Thomas, Carl Siciliano, and two veterans of the Stonewall Rebellion: Martin Boyce and Danny Garvin.  Facebook event page.

LGBT Group Faith In America Issues Plea To Pope Francis In Full-Page NY Times Ad: Stop Condemning Homosexual Acts

The LGBT group Faith In America today published a full-page open letter to Pope Francis in the New York Times. The letter was written by Ali Forney Center head Carl Siciliano and financial assistance was provided by furniture maker Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams.

Your Holiness, I write to you as a Roman Catholic, a former Benedictine monk and as a gay man who has spent over 30 years serving the homeless, first as a member of the Catholic Worker Movement, and now as the founder and Executive Director of the Ali Forney Center, America’s largest center for homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth based in New York City. I write on behalf of the homeless LGBT youths I serve. I ask you to take urgent action to protect them from the devastating consequences of religious rejection, which is the most common reason LGBT youths are driven from their homes. At the heart of the problem is that the church still teaches that homosexual conduct is a sin, and that being gay is disordered. I hope that if you understand how this teaching tears families apart and brings suffering to innocent youths, you will end this teaching and prevent your bishops from fighting against the acceptance of LGBT people as equal members of society.

Hit this link and read Siciliano's message in full. In a Facebook page set up to support the campaign, Mitchell Gold writes:

To be very open, this might be one of THE most consequential efforts I’ve ever been involved in. PLEASE take a minute to look at the full page ad in the NY Times today asking the Pope to “take being or acting gay off the sin list.” It’s a big deal that some think is too big of a goal…. BUT it has to start sometime….and it must. Too many people are suffering needlessly. AND the church has changed before and apologized! Please like and share it on FB, forward to friends and family…..do what you can to help to start to move this mountain. Sincere thanks, Mitchell Gold.

A petition to Pope Francis has also been launched.

Harlem Parents Turn Hate Billboard Into Fundraiser For Ali Forney Center

Wonderful news via the New York Daily News:

A group of Harlem parents are taking a notorious homophobic pastor’s hate and turning it into something positive. Stacy Parker Le Melle and other Harlem parents were so angered by hate-filled signs outside of the ATLAH World Missionary Church on Lenox Ave. that they launched a fund-raiser Tuesday to support a local LGBT youth program. “We wanted to channel our anger into something positive,” said Le Melle, who spearheaded the fund-raiser for the Ali Forney Center. “We had to do something because we don’t want people to think that’s how we feel.” The campaign comes on the heels of Pastor James David Manning’s latest homophobic screed, which he posts on a sign outside of his church despite community disapproval.

Read my previous stories about the church and its evil pastor at this link. Ali Forney, for whom the LGBT youth homeless shelter was named, was murdered on the streets of Harlem in 1997.  The donation page for Harlem Against Violence & Homophobia is right here.

NYC Mayor De Blasio's Budget Adds Funding For Homeless LGBT Youth

Yesterday New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio unveiled his first budget in a $73.5B expenditure plan that includes new funding to aid the city's large population of homeless LGBT youth.

“This is a progressive administration. Our budget will be a progressive budget,” de Blasio said. The budget includes restoring $8.3 million in 2014 for homeless services that was slashed by the Bloomberg administration as well as allocating millions more. The city would also add $4.3 million for community-based mental health funding and other health agency reduction, as well as adding $1.3 million in spending for LGBTQ youth and runaway prevention. Public Advocate Letitia James said she was encouraged by the increased funding for social services. "Mayor de Blasio’s progressive budgetary approach is a departure from the last 12 years of budget dances that put firehouses, municipal workers, and crucial services on the chopping block," James said.

The Empire State Pride Agenda reacts via press release.

Delivering on his campaign promise to address the crisis of runaway and homeless youth – which disproportionately impacts the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community – the proposed budget adds 75 shelter beds at $1.3 million in 2014 and $2.4 million next year. The work of partner organizations in the Campaign for Youth Shelter and the Ali Forney Center underscores the urgent need for more beds for our most vulnerable. We urge the City Council to adopt this budget and consider how much more is still needed until every young person has a warm bed in which to start and end their day.

An estimated 40% of New York City's homeless youth identify as LGBT.

Carl Siciliano On Phil Robertson

Via Memeographs.

TRAILER: Road To Home

From the producers:

In the avalanche of homeless young people spreading across America, nearly half are LGBT, despite the fact that gay kids make up only 5-7% of the general population. In an era of increasing openness regarding LGBT issues, where marriage equality is making strides and anti-gay bullying is publicly shamed, kids are coming out to their parents younger and younger. But social trends don’t translate into all households equally, and LGBT kids are often getting kicked out into the streets long before they’ve developed the skills to survive on their own.

Addressing this problem involves more than providing beds. It also involves providing hope and healing. Our 90-minute documentary Road to Home will follow the development of 4-5 LGBT homeless young people of various genders, backgrounds, and origins as they’re provided beds as well as guidance by the staff of the Ali Forney Center, the organization dealing with LGBT homelessness most effectively in New York City. By showing several young people finding a place to lay their heads and a way to heal their hearts, our film will not only depict a dramatic emotional journey, but also stimulate the attention LGBT homeless kids deserve.