HEALTH
City Council Floats Localized Healthcare Program
LGBTQ-inclusive plan would give healthcare for those who need it, where they need it
BY MATT TRACY
A new City Council proposal
would connect
New Yorkers to culturally
competent, community
based healthcare services
through an LGBTQ-inclusive program
geared towards uninsured
and underinsured folks, though
fully insured residents are welcome
to participate.
The bill, introduced on August
14 by City Council Speaker Corey
Johnson and Manhattan Councilmembers
Mark Levine, Carlina
Rivera, and Ben Kallos, would offer
localized healthcare services in every
community district. There is no
cost to participate in the program,
but folks would still pay for the
services — including doctor visits,
prescriptions, and tests — on a
sliding scale based on income.
Folks would be assigned a navigator
to help coordinate healthcare
and have access to doctors who
would be able to provide preventative
and diagnostic care. Those
services would include tests, prescriptions,
A patient and a doctor are seen during a routine checkup at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem in Central
Harlem. H+H locations would be included in a healthcare program proposed by City Councilmembers.
referrals, and chronic
pain management, as well as mental
health services and inpatient
and outpatient hospital services.
The program would also include
24-hour access to telemedicine
care. Specialty care would also
be available, but a City Council
spokesperson did not provide further
NYC H+H/ FLICKR
details on that.
Furthermore, the bill stipulates
that the program must include
providers that serve the needs of
populations like the LGBTQ community
and undocumented immigrants.
Considering the legislation
is in its infancy, full details on
which providers that would entail
are not yet available.
The localized services as a whole
would be offered through facilities
connected to the NYC Health +
Hospitals system as well as federally
qualifi ed health centers and
other nonprofi t medical providers.
Lawmakers are touting the program’s
focus on connecting New
Yorkers with neighborhood healthcare
services, especially in parts
of the city with large populations
of undocumented immigrants who
have previously faced language
barriers in the healthcare realm
and are now seeking options that
are more suitable for them.
“Healthcare is an existential issue
for so many New Yorkers, and
a deeply personal issue for me as
an HIV-positive elected offi cial,”
Johnson said in a written statement.
“Healthcare is a life or death
issue, a make or break fi nancial
issue, and a peace of mind issue,
and as a city we could be doing a
much better job of making sure all
New Yorkers have access to per-
➤ LGBTQ HEALTH, continued on p.7
CRIME
Homophobia Dampens New York State Fair Pride
Two men targeted, one assaulted; rainbows infuriate social media trolls
BY MATT TRACY
Pride Day at the New York
State Fair on August
23 was overshadowed
by anti-LGBTQ social
media outrage and a violent homophobic
attack on two men the
following day.
The fair’s fi fth annual Pride Day
featured a Rainbow Flag-raising
ceremony, a parade, and a keynote
address by Martin Boyce, who was
present at the Stonewall uprising
50 years ago this summer. But several
folks hiding behind computer
screens expressed disgust, and
that rage spilled into real life the
following day when a man hurled
anti-LGBTQ slurs at a couple of
men before punching them and
damaging their car, according to
State Police.
Cops say Nicholas C. Ferlenda,
27, started spewing homophobia
at the men when they were departing
the fairgrounds and walking
to their vehicle shortly before 11
p.m. on August 24. He then allegedly
punched one of the men in the
face before the two escaped into
their vehicle, but as they tried leaving,
the perpetrator couldn’t resist
smashing out their driver’s side
window.
Shortly after the attack was
over, cops patrolling the area
found Ferlenda covered in blood
NEW YORK STATE FAIR/ FACEBOOK
A Rainbow Flag is seen waving in the air at the
New York State Fair, where two men were allegedly
attacked by a raging homophobe.
and screaming obscenities. They
arrested him and charged him
with misdemeanor second-degree
aggravated harassment, which
authorities said is a bias-related
charge, as well as disorderly conduct
and felony criminal mischief
in the fourth degree. A police
spokesperson told Gay City News
that the criminal mischief charge
was elevated because of the biased
nature of the crime.
It is not clear whether the victim
who was punched suffered any signifi
cant injuries.
That attack came hours after
some folks revealed a homophobic
side in the comments section of the
State Fair’s offi cial Facebook page.
A post promoting the Pride festivi-
➤ STATE FAIR HATE, continued on p.7
August 29 - September 11, 6 2019 | GayCityNews.com
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