Tag Archives: Carl Siciliano

Ali Forney Center head Carl Siciliano: “We hope that this video will promote awareness of the terrible peril that LGBT youth face when left homeless in the streets. With the recent spectacle of elected officials taking budgetary actions to endanger and abandon homeless youth in New York City, we hope the rally on October 24th will send a loud and …

The New York City Council has awarded the Ali Forney Center the contract to take over a floundering 20-bed facility for homeless youth. Along with the contract comes a $620K grant. Julie Bolcer reports at the Advocate: “We are grateful to have the additional shelter beds,” said Carl Siciliano, the executive director of the Ali Forney Center, in a telephone …

Clip description: “Continuing to make amends for anti-gay comments he made, comedian Tracy Morgan met with LGBT teens in New York. Randi Kaye talks with Jayden Love (homeless teen), Carl Siciliano (The Ali Forney Center) & Elke Kennedy (Sean’s Last Wish).”

ABOVE: “Tracy Morgan listens to Jayden Love, an Ali Forney Center client rejected by her religious family.” I can’t imagine a more effective remedy for Morgan than meeting the kids of the AFC.

“If Tracy Morgan is truly sorry for what he has done, then he should make the effort to learn the damage that is caused by homophobic parents and help to educate others about the terrible harm caused by parental rejection. He heard the crowd cheering him on. What if one of them has an LGBT child? I would advocate that …

Via press release from the Ali Forney Center: We’d like to invite you to attend a forum on May 3rd at New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (208 West 13th) which will examine the struggle to protect the thousands of youths who have been rejected by their families due to homophobia, and seeks to articulate a …

Today NYC’s Ali Forney Center remembers the birthday of their namesake, Ali Forney, who was brutally murdered on the streets in 1997. The Ali Forney Center opened in 2002.

As the New York state budget inches closer to a major cut in funding for homeless youth shelters, today Ali Forney Center executive director Carl Siciliano posts a blistering letter to the governor in Gay City News. An excerpt: Mr. Governor, I invite you to stop into one of our youth shelters. Maybe you can explain to our kids why …

Last night I attended the Imperial Court of New York’s 25th annual Night Of 1000 Gowns, which this year benefited the Ali Forney Center and the Trevor Project. Swirling amidst all of the winking pomp and circumstance were empresses, emperors, duchesses, dukes, viscountesses, dowager empresses, and probably a dozen other royalty titles unknown to me. Also in the room were …

The Ali Forney Center has been joined by a wonderful ally in the effort to prevent Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to eliminate funding for homeless youth shelters in New York State. Change.org has taken on the struggle to protect LGBT youth from the devastating impact of Cuomo’s plan and has posted this petition on their homepage and on their gay …

Last night I got a call from Ali Forney Center founder Carl Siciliano, who alerted me that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is planning to completely end state funding for homeless youth shelters. Carl forwards us the below letter from AFC resident Raciel Castillo, pictured at left. Governor Cuomo, I understand that you intend to end the funding from New …

Pictured above are the journalists, activists, researchers, allies and bloggers that attended this weekend’s Haas Fund-sponsored conference on LGBT youth homelessness, suicide prevention, and immigration equality. All very good people. UPDATE: Via the Windy City Times, here’s everybody’s names (from left to right). Michael Rogers, Eden James, Phil Reese, Andrés Duque, Karen Ocamb, Jeremy Hooper, Jean Albright, Tracy Baim, Ksen …

Yesterday the White House Media Office issued a special report on homeless LGBT youth. The report was created by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and spotlights the work being done by NYC’s Ali Forney Center as well as the Ruth Ellis Center in Detroit. The Ali Forney Center comments via press release: This follows upon recent events over …

Wonderful news for the homeless LGBT kids of New York City. This morning NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced that city funding to the Ali Forney Center has been completely restored! Ali Forney Center executive director Carl Siciliano: This is wonderful news for the homeless youth of our City, particularly for homeless LGBT youth who would be disproportionately hurt by …

Alan Cumming, Justin Bond, Dan Choi and others (including me) speak in support of the Ali Forney Center, which has seen its funding dramatically cut by New York City. You can help. Hundreds of gay kids will spend tonight sleeping on the subway or worse.

Michael K. Lavers reports at EDGE: Juan Valdez literally remains out in the cold. The 21-year-old from Orlando, Florida, has been homeless since he arrived in New York City eight months ago. Valdez’s parents kicked him out of their home. And he told EDGE he now sleeps with what he described as “a whole bunch of ex-convicts” looking for sex. …

It has been a rough holiday season for the Ali Forney Center. The day after Thanksgiving I received an e-mail from the City of New York, informing me that due to budget problems, they were slashing their support for homeless youth programs, greatly defunding street outreach efforts and drop-in centers. Our drop-in support is being cut in half. I prefer …

On Thanksgiving Eve, the Ali Forney Center received a grim letter from New York City’s Department of Youth and Community Development. Due to a combination of City and State budget reductions for FY11 and FY12, DYCD has made the difficult decision to reduce Runaway and Homeless Youth Services funds by $969,407 and $700,000, respectively, beginning this fiscal year. In order …

At the Ali Forney Center’s annual fundraising dinner on Thursday, executive director Carl Siciliano spoke passionately about the recent rash of LGBT youth suicides and the mission of his organization to create safe spaces for queer kids attempting to escape hopeless (and often brutal) home situations. Watch this. After his speech, Carl dropped a bit of a bombshell. Last year …

“I dream of a day where every gay youth in our country will have access to safe spaces, where no gay kid will live more than 100 miles from a space where LGBT youth can go to find community and support. But the creation of these life-saving spaces will require the passionate commitment and attention of the adult LGBT community. …