San Francisco (Crohn– The Auckland Community Center LGBTQ is at risk of closing, after discounts from federal scholarships and states.
The CEO of the Center Kron4 tells what to happen to keep the center open.
The Oakland LGBTQ Community Center was opened for the first time in 2017 during the first term of President Trump. People who run the center say that the future appears to be dark during the second period of Trump, with executive orders that make it almost impossible to serve society.
At the corner of Lakehore Ave and Lake Park Ave in Auckland, the city’s LGBTQ community center is located in the city.
CEO Joe Hawkins participated in establishing the center with the task of enhancing and preserving the welfare of gay people through education, programs and services.
He says it was difficult to do this work during the first four months of President Trump’s second term.
Joe Hawkins, CEO and co -founder Auckland LGBTQ Community
“The attack was a measure taken by the Trump administration, it was a frequent ball, especially for LGBTQ centers.”
Through executive requests, the Trump administration reduced more than $ 600,000 from the center in April.
Hawkins reduced his salary and expelled 10 employees due to budget issues and financing restrictions.
The major companies also fell in line with Trump’s opinions about diversity, fairness and inclusion (Dei).
“We have been informed by Amazon, who has been very supportively for the past two years, but we have informed us that they would not support our organization,” Hawkins said.
It is not only the federal funding that is cut from the Hawkin budget, but the state’s funds will also disappear.
The governor of the state, Gavin News, released the revised state budget last week – eliminating funding for two important programs on the LGBTQ Center in Auckland.
The bad news stack was exhausting for Hokins, but he hoped that the broader Gulf region would rise to help – in the same way that volunteers did in 2017.
“If we have space and have partners and volunteers, we can do what we want to do and this is the spirit in which we advance,” Hawkins said.
The loss of financing comes just a few weeks after the Oakbtq Community Center planned to open a new website for East Oakland for low -income LGBTQ individuals.
Hawkins says that the new site was designed using grants that were received before Trump’s second term, and the plan is to remain a big opening on June 7.