The LGBTQ Guide of Services and Resources is the most comprehensive directory of LGBTQ resources and services in New York City. For members of the LGBTQ community, connecting to services geared towards their needs can be a challenge. This Guide is intended to help individuals better understand the resources available, from hundreds of community organizations and health care facilities to counseling and support groups, recreational clubs, and much more.
Letter from the Comptroller
I am pleased to present the 2018 edition of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Guide to Services and Resources—the most comprehensive directory of LGBTQ+ organizations and programs in New York City. This year’s Guide includes information for well over 100 community groups offering LGBTQ-led and -centered services, from health care and counseling to arts and social networks. But the Guide is much more than a resource. It is a reflection of the vast contributions of LGBTQ+ New Yorkers to civic life and culture and of the spirit of activism that pervades our city.
Throughout my career, I have been a strong and vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ rights. As an Assembly member, I was one of the first co-sponsors of a 1995 bill to enact marriage equality in the State of New York. When my wife and I married in 2010, we did so in Connecticut to protest New York’s then-ongoing discrimination against same-sex couples. As Comptroller, I am proud to have the opportunity to advance equality for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers by mobilizing investors to speak out against discrimination and to ensure corporate diversity efforts explicitly include the LGBTQ+ community. And I remain committed to centering LGBTQ+ New Yorkers across the many functions of this office.
I want to acknowledge that the release of this year’s Guide comes at a particularly challenging moment in the LGBTQ+ movement. So many of the steps we have made toward greater equality are being threatened at the federal level. But let me be clear: Here in New York City, we reject any and all attempts to roll back the rights of our LGBTQ+ neighbors. Here in New York City, we are only moving forward.
In the past year alone, we have made new progress. A policy report my office released revealed that New York City’s students are not getting their mandated semester of health education, critical for young people to develop healthy relationships and positive outlooks on their sexual health and identity. I subsequently called for the expansion of comprehensive sexual health and wellness education for all New York City students. In addition, legislation I spearheaded to prohibit discrimination of LGBTQ+ business owners who bid on city contracts became law, closing a glaring loophole in the City’s existing anti-discrimination protections.
In the years to come, I will continue working to make sure the City better serves the needs of all LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, especially those living at the intersection of multiple identities. I am proud to join a growing movement to include black and brown stripes on the Pride flag. These colors are also displayed on the cover of this year’s Guide.
If you have any questions about the Guide or would like to request copies, please send us an email at action@comptroller.nyc.gov. You may also browse the directory online at www.comptroller.nyc.gov/LGBTQ. I hope that you will find the LGBTQ+ Resource Guide a useful resource and that together we can continue to push for equality and dignity for all New Yorkers.
In solidarity,
Scott M. Stringer
New York City Comptroller