NYC Budget Includes $7m for Transgender Initiatives

As part of its $126 billion budget, the New York City Council has approved about $7 million for programs supporting transgender and gender nonconforming residents, including funding for "Drag Story Hour." Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed the budget into law.

The funding is intended to support education, employment services, workforce development, healthcare navigation, legal assistance, community programs and academic research. Most of the money will go to nonprofit organizations, with Destiny Tomorrow receiving the largest grant of $1 million.

The budget also allocates $40,000 to Drag Story Hour, a program in which drag performers read children's books in schools and libraries with the stated aim of promoting inclusion and acceptance of gender diversity.

The budget was approved on the same day the US Supreme Court ruled that states may prohibit transgender girls from competing on girls' school sports teams, upholding laws in Idaho and West Virginia. The ruling does not impose a nationwide ban but allows states to enforce such restrictions.

Republican politicians and representatives of New York's Conservative Party criticized the spending, arguing that taxpayer money would be better directed toward policing, schools and infrastructure. LGBT advocacy groups defended the funding, saying transgender youth are among the most vulnerable members of society and require additional support.

(nypost, bak)