With generous support from our community, Callen-Lorde recently held our annual Advocacy Day on Tuesday, February 25th, 2025. On this day we had a cohort of over 100 advocates join in Albany to call on New York lawmakers to:

Establish a $50 million contingency fund for gender-affirming care
Strengthen the shield laws to protect health care providers and patients
Increase Funding for the Lorena Borjas Transgender and Gender Non-Binary Wellness and Equity Fund.

While this week’s rally brought an enlivening energy and positive push in the right direction, we know there is still more work to be done. In fact, we’re on our way back to Albany on Monday to continue this work, and we’re planning to be back in Washington, DC soon.

We invite you to join us and/or help support this advocacy work!

Advocates will join us for a day of meetings and important conversations with New York State legislators, their staff, and other advocates to discuss ways to protect LGBTQ+ healthcare for the most marginalized members of our communities. Moreover, we will continue to press our state policymakers to stand up and protect our patients from threats coming from the federal administration.

Callen-Lorde is the global leader in LGBTQ+ healthcare. Since the days of Stonewall, we have been transforming lives in LGBTQ+ communities through excellent comprehensive care, provided free of judgment and regardless of ability to pay. In addition, we are continuously pioneering research, advocacy and education to drive positive change around the world, because we believe healthcare is a human right.

Callen-Lorde’s grassroots heritage dates back over 55 years to the St. Marks Clinic and the Gay Men’s Health Project – two volunteer-based clinics that provided safe and confidential sexual health and primary care regardless of ability to pay. These clinics merged in 1983 to form Community Health Project, a mostly volunteer-staffed, episodic care program housing the nation’s first community-based HIV clinic. Read our full history here.

Let's Raise Our Voices for LGBTQ+ Health!

Help support our continued advocacy work!