i am the transgender program coordinator at the st. james infirmary and refer clients within a healthy san francisco system. two days before i got word that the clinic was in danger of closing, i got a call from one of our participants. she had received a hormone prescription from us, but as a condition of healthy san francisco to have for coverage, it needed to be written by her medical provider. she was being told that there would not have an appointment open for her and another two months. the public health system is already stretched thin. if we are thrown back into the system, how can that fragile network picked us up? how can the clinics to pick us up continue to provide competent care with the added burden? for that reason i'm asking for your support, thank you. supervisor mirkarimi: thank you very much. next speaker, please? >> good evening, my name is james award. i am a current patient of lyon- martin, and i am asking your support and keeping the doors open. before i came to lyon-martin, i had the most horrible experiences in

i am the first and only transgendered person on the board. i will go into more written statements now about the state of things. lyon-martin has been on the verge of extinction many times. they have faced difficulties in getting money for services performed. as a result, they have been extremely cash poor. the board were shocked, however, to recently realize the full extent of the deterioration financially, including what was being done to make ends meet. a board of directors governing a community health clinic should know the right questions to ask and the right people to ask. to learn of these sorts of things at the time they are happening. the current board did not have that knowledge or expertise, so they did not ask those questions. for that, we take responsibility. thanks to the outpouring of financial support lyon-martin has received from the community, many of whom are here, during the last few weeks, we have been able to hire consultants with the administrative, financial, and operational expertise to turn this clinic around. the boa

>> miami transgendered woman. -- i am a transgendered woman. at 58 years old, if lyon-martin ceases to exist, i would be back to rolling the dice for my health care. i would not seek it. it is too frightening. i am from new jersey. i began my transition there, and it was a whole lot different dealing with the health care system there. i am assured -- i am insured, disabled, on social security, so i am covered, but i am more concerned about most of the people that lyon-martin serves. they are not here. they're looking for cover from the rain. and is just -- it would be really hard. i worked as a stand-up comedian in san francisco, and i -- i just cannot imagine a san francisco without lyon-martin. i just cannot. it is so safe, so compassionate, and thank you. supervisor mirkarimi: think you very much. next speaker, please? >> supervisors, gabriel holland. in 1984, started the process of coming out as trans injured -- of transgendered. i started coming out, and 1996, 1997, sought out transgendered health care and had an amazingly hostile experien

this is the only one with the primary purpose of lesbian and transgendered health care. the day that this whole thing broke was the day that we were hosting the administrator here in town, and the surgeon general would be in san francisco in two weeks. a reflection to how did we get there. the lyon-martin board are very committed. they were among the first to create open access. clinically, we have no concerns. what we see is a group of good intended board members, good intended staff who did not have what was needed to be done. this is, unfortunately, something we are seeing in clinics across california and across the country. the increasing demand for service, 50% uninsured, is an unsustainable model. it is hard when a patient calls to say, "sorry, we cannot see you because you do not have the insurance." a poor payer mix. in addition, over the last several years, the california state legislature eliminated funding. a loss of $33 million across the state. lyon-martin also had budget cuts in the past. the department of public health eliminated the funding that they were

i work with low income and homeless transgendered people who live in the city. many of my clients first received mental-health services from new lease. they closed their doors. then there were reassigned to lyon-martin. a lot of those folks are facing losing the mental services they then have. the work on things like project health to train other doctors. i clear -- i fear for my clients that will not get reassigned to another clinic in a reasonable time. people are likely to not get health care at all. they face the fear of not being able to find doctors like they have at lyon-martin. i fear people will not get primary care. they may resort to st. hormones or not get the care they need. i urge you to do all you can to support lyon-martin. >> i am victoria grace, a concerned member of the trans gender community, and a very happy patient of the tamo delaware -- tom modell help center and a client of the trans thrive center. competent health care is of utmost importance. transgendered people have a lot of trouble getting culturally competent health care. i am fort

on a personal note, as a transgendered person, i am clear that tommy is correct, that transgendered people will be driven out of this neighborhood. i'm clear that this legislation passes, what you have done is what he has called queer removal. i just want to put it out there that we're clear on what is happening. it may be that the votes are there and you may win the vote, but you lose the war. supervisor chu: thank you very much. >> hello, supervisors. fine with -- i'm with seiu, speaking in opposition. it is difficult standing against some of the leaders i have seen in this room speak. i know what i particular, ran the shop, what he and his work have done for the tenderloin -- randy shaw. it is difficult to stand against some of the supervisors who are in support of the legislation, but i do so in good conscience. a lot of the comments that were said today i do not want to reiterate, but there is one. there is the issue of the larger real estate owners that are sort of getting off the hook with this legislation. it is important for them to create incentives to bring and draw businesses i

if they were too close, we do not know where we could transfer 500 transgendered patients. they have particular needs, and when we look at the clinical provisions, we do not have a provider that we could transfer to. we thank you for your attention and look forward to our work together. supervisor mirkarimi: sir, if i could, i would like to ask you a few questions. through the board. i think we were all shocked to hear of the closure of the clinic. what would be protocol so that that threat of having two overnight displays, say, 500 transgendered patients -- having to overnight displace, say, 500 transgendered patients -- a clinic is in trouble, at least there would be some early- warning signs, or some balloons floated, to hopefully avert that closure, or if it had to close, why it was such a shock. so that that closure would not seem so over the night but would at least be well prepared for. >> i think i can answer the question. we can also talk about healthy san francisco. patients would be tiered in terms of most in need. looking at each of the patients. one of the conc

women and transgendered folks in district 6 regularly use these services. lyon-martin is critical to the needs of the career and trans community in san francisco. virtually all career folks have a story of discrimination at the hands of a health-care provider. as uninsured career years, and went to dimension -- uninsured queer youth, lyon-martin was the place i would have gone. i can personally testify to the depths to which these services are needed. look at how much money we have unable to raise in the last month. this is an economic crisis, when people are so strapped. we have been able to come up with so much money. a thing that drives home how much needed the services are. lyon-martin is a leader in the women and trans health-care movement in the united states. lyon-martin -- clinics across the country look to them for leadership. this is a critical time when there is a national attack on women's health care in the united states against planned parenthood. i think it is important to continue to fund services like lyon-martin. from being able to see a d

transgendered people need the jobs. 42% have lost their jobs or have been denied employment or a raise because of their jobs. we have this huge problem with transitional youth because they don't have a job. they don't have the income supports necessary we have invested all of this money into two or six years of services. we need to invest in an exit strategy for folks. and we also need to invest in the services. we need jobs, and the agency's need money. [unintelligible] agencies are going to close. what are you going to do about it? they should find a proposal for subsidized job training program. it is in the city's comprehensive plan. to continue to fund the transgendered employment initiatives, we should avoid the $20,000 cut to the only lgbt services in the city. i know my time is up. thank you. [applause] >> i was to bring the divina that will share with us about the immigrant experiences. >> i'm a resident of district 6? i like to share some facts about immigrants with you. it is estimated [unintelligible] latino immigrants are 14% of the shelter out of the population, a 23% of a

transgendered. you're talking to someone, and they did in your car to go to a bar, i am sorry. i am not seeing a violation. president mazzucco: thank you. dr. marshall? vice president marshall: what led us to this in the first place? both parties agreed. it came before us, and i remember then -- to hear the matter, so how did we get to stipulated disposition? >> because it is 4:00 in the morning. he is in an area of known prostitution, known heavy traffic. .-- commissioner hammer: because of my role having to be impartial on the phone, i think it would not be fair having to take sides, and i could not have that role, so at that time, only part is to be neutral and have them talk, which they did. to have this body rule, to be honest, i always had a bad feeling about it, but it needed to come back to the commission. that is why we are here. >> i would like to answer. vice president marshall: please. >> procedurally, the only other way to get this to the commission is to go through an entire hearing. we are here to understand the time and the expense of doing that, versus the bird

the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transistor -- transgender committee has specific services. some of those will be cut. i am wondering if there is some thought to that. what is the message to the lgbt community about the protection of those services? it may be hiv prevention or other related services. >> the executive director's have come together as a group. i will be meeting with them shortly about that as to how we will maintain services for this community. i think it is an important process. we're also working with the trans injured -- transgendered community for a program that will be happening next year. it is important to start working with executives. i know we have some people here to save services at the martin clinic for march and the next few years. it is an important process. we're working with the executive directors. it goes back to community-based organizations and how we will support them and have them manage their programs. supervisor campos: thank you very much. i will speak as an openly gay, latino man. lion martin is very important. there are a lot of oth

i would love to be the first transgender male underwear model.ging through and break all stereo tichs. when i look in the mirror, i see a dude. >> reporter: he had one more step to take. he changed his name to ty. more the mother, it was a step to meeting her new son. >> finally, he gets to be who he is and that makes me happy. i love you. >> reporter: having the love and support of his family has helped ty find his way. now that ty no longer has breasts to conceal, his family has gathered. >> this is getting rid of the sports bras. 23 years of wearing these puppies. >> reporter: the bonfire a celebration of transformation. finally, the word seeing ty the way he has always seen himself. this is lisa ling for "nightline" in california. >> with you catch the full story tomorrow on her show "our america" of own. thank yor

amiano, who has been a historic figure and trailblazer, coming from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgenderedmunity. [applause] also, our newest elected official, supervisor cohen, with her election last november at age 32, is the youngest african-american ever to be elected to the board of supervisors. [applause] she is now san francisco's highest-ranking elected official who is african-american, one of three women on the 11-member body, and the only african- american on that 11-member body. let me read -- since we are short on time -- the letter from the united states senator, dianne feinstein. it reads, "dear mrs. colvin, it is a pleasure for me to join your friends, family, and colleagues in recognizing you for all the work you have done in the fight for civil rights. thank you for dedicating your life to the cause of equality. you have given so much to this country. when you refuse to give up your bus seat on march 2, 1955, it ignited a spark within montgomery, alabama, that helped begin the process of change. the landmark united states supreme court case that eventually ended segregatio

transgendered people need the jobs. 42% have lost their jobs or have been denied employment or a raise because of their jobs. we have this huge problem with transitional youth because they don't have a job. they don't have the income supports necessary we have invested all of this money into two or six years of services. we need to invest in an exit strategy for folks. and we also need to invest in the services. we need jobs, and