ACT NOW: Fund LGBTQ Centers
Take Action – Join us in urging the funding for the LGBTQ Community Center Fund and gender-affirming care—calling on other elected officials to lead during this difficult time for the LGBTQ+ community.
Protecting LGBTQ+ Care Through California’s State Budget
Last month, representatives from over 40 LGBTQ+ organizations throughout our state directly met with and lobbied state legislators on the importance of the LGBTQ Community Center Fund and other key budget asks supporting the LGBTQ+ community. This included the $26 million Gender-Affirming Care Fund, which would create a mechanism in California to establish a state-funded billing system that both protects clinics and providers of gender-affirming care from potential federal funding bans and ensures they can continue to bill for services, with an accompanying financial appropriation to sustain access.
The California LGBTQ Caucus has added both the LGBTQ Community Center Fund and the Gender-Affirming Care Fund to their budget priorities for the year, and we look forward to continuing to work with them and our coalition partners to see these asks reflected in the governor’s final budget that will be released next month.
LGBTQ+ community centers are lifelines across California, providing safety, care, and belonging for people too often pushed to the margins. We are where our community turns in moments of crisis and where lives are stabilized, protected, and saved.
Get Involved
California must continue to lead with action, with courage, and with real investment in our communities. The state’s budget is finalized in June, so there is still time to contact your California assemblymember to urge their support for the LGBTQ+ community and ask them to allocate funds for the life-saving services community centers provide.
Who to contact:
- Find phone numbers for your representatives in the state assembly and senate by entering your address at: https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/
- We will also be calling two key legislators—the Chairs of the Senate and Assembly Budget Committees:
- Senator John Laird: (916) 651-4017
- Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel: (916) 319-2046
What to say:
Get in touch with your California representatives and urge them to support our budget requests to help LGBTQ+ people thrive in the Golden State.
It only takes 2–3 minutes per call. If no one answers, leave a voicemail—legislators’ offices keep track of every message and call that comes in and use that information to guide their decision-making.
Sample Script:
Hi, my name is [Your Name], and I am calling from [Your City].
I’m calling to urge [Assemblymember/Senator ___] to support critical funding for LGBTQ+ communities in this year’s state budget.
Specifically, I’m asking him to support $35 million dollars for the LGBTQ Community Center Fund and $26 million dollars for the Gender Affirming Care Fund. These investments are essential to ensure LGBTQ+ Californians can access care, services, and community support.
Thank you for your time and for standing with our community.
A few tips:
- Be polite and clear; staffers log every call.
- Personalize your message if you can. (“This matters to me because…”)
- Calls during business hours are great, but voicemails anytime help too.