Tag Archives: Carl Siciliano

NEW YORK: Tracy Morgan Meets Homeless LGBT Youth Of Ali Forney Center

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.

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Carl Siciliano On Tracy Morgan

“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 …

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May 3rd At NYC’s LGBT Center: Community Forum On Youth Homelessness

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 …

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Remembering Ali Forney

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.

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Ali Forney Center Begs NY Gov. Cuomo: Don’t Send Our Kids Back To The Streets

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 …

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The Night Of 1000 Gowns

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 …

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Guest Post – Carl Siciliano

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 …

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Homeless Gay Kid Pleads With NY Gov. Cuomo: Please Don’t Cut Our Funding

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 …

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40 Activists Walk Into A Room….

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 …

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White House Works With NYC’s Ali Forney Center On Homeless LGBT Youth Report

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 …

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VICTORY For NYC’s Homeless Kids: City Restores Funding For Ali Forney Center

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 …

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Alan Cumming & Friends For Ali Forney

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.

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Ali Forney Center’s Carl Siciliano Blasts Bloomberg’s Cuts To Homeless Gay Kids

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. …

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Guest Post – Carl Siciliano

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 …

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NYC Slashes Funding For Homeless Youth

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 …

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Carl Siciliano On LGBT Teen Suicides

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 …

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HomoQuotable – Carl Siciliano

“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. …

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NEW YORK CITY: Summer Benefit For The Ali Forney Center – Wed. July 21st

On Wednesday July 21st, the Ali Forney Center will hold a summer benefit party at Hudson Terrace. Get tickets here and help support AFC’s vital work for NYC’s homeless LGBT youth. Facebook event page here. RELATED: Visit Frank And Gabe today for a great interview with AFC’s mega-hunky executive director Carl Siciliano.

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NEW YORK: Big Crowd Rallies For Homeless LGBT Youth

Several hundred activists rallied in New York City’s Union Square last night in support of homeless LGBT youth. The rally, which was sponsored by the Ali Forney Center, featured speeches from Lt. Dan Choi and actress Sandra Bernhard among others. Frank And Gabe reports: One of the event’s prominent speakers was Lt. Dan Choi, who brought an incredible emotional resonance …

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Monday June 14th: Ali Forney Center Rally To Protect Homeless LGBT Youth

The Ali Forney Center will hold a rally in support of LGBT youth on June 14th at NYC’s Union Square. As LGBT youth find the courage to come out of the closet at younger ages, thousands are being rejected by their families and forced out of their homes. As many as 40% of the homeless youth in the United States …

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