The Trump administration cut $600,000 in federal funds from Oakland’s only LGBTQ resource center, the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center.
The funding freeze, announced in May, caused chaos and left government funders at all levels uncertain how to respond, CEO Joe Hawkins recently told Oakland Voices via email.
The center’s work is “not in alignment” with President Trump’s policies. Hawkins added that the Trump administration “declared war on funding for immigrants, DEI efforts and the LGBTQ+ community.”
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) refers to initiatives in workplaces and schools to promote fairness and belonging for all people. LBGTQ+ refers to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, queer, and other people who with a range of gender identities and sexual orientations.
Consequences of federal cuts on Oakland LGBTQ Center
The Center laid off 10 employees – half of its staff – including its Chief Operating Officer and cut essential programs. Hawkins also cut his own salary to save money, the center announced and as reported by SF Gate. The initial decision sent a “negative jolt to morale,” Hawkins said, making staff feel targeted.
“Our team is made up of people who are Black, Latinx, Trans, LGBTQ elders and youth,” Hawkins said. “Many also have family members who are immigrants.”
Since opening in 2017, the center has provided services like testing for Sexually Transmitted Infections, housing assistance, mental health subsidies, a food pantry, and access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, or PrEP, a medication to prevent HIV. The loss of funding puts these programs at risk.
“If the clinic were to close, people would not have access to life saving prevention and treatment services,” Hawkins warned.
Corporations, government pulling back support
The financial challenges come from multiple sources. Corporate donors have also pulled back this year. Amazon, a major partner for the past two years, stopped its donations, stating in the press release that its giving now focuses on regions with its largest employment centers, like San Francisco and the greater Silicon Valley. This reflects a broader trend of corporate hesitancy to support Pride and LGBTQ causes, the Associated Press reported.
State-level support also shrank. Governor Gavin Newsom’s revised budget eliminated funding for two key health equity programs that support the center’s work: the Gender Health Equity Section (GHES) and the California Reducing Disparities Project (CRDP).
These challenges are not unique to Oakland. Seventy-three percent of LGBTQ centers experienced threats or harassment in the past two years, according to a 2024 national survey by the Movement Advancement Project and CenterLink. Many centers reported the threats were a direct response to anti-LGBTQ politics, according to the survey.
The loss of services comes as local data reveals life-threatening health disparities. Local LGBTQ+ youth are far more likely to consider suicide than their straight, cisgender peers (people whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth), according to a November 2024 Alameda County Public Health report. High rates of housing insecurity and discrimination were also documented in the report, linking the need for safe, affirming spaces to the health of Alameda County’s LGBTQ+ residents.
LGBTQ Center fights back, with community support
Despite the setbacks, the center is fighting back, Hawkins said. It opened its new, long-planned satellite site in East Oakland on June 7, which was funded by grants received before the federal cuts.
The organization has also aggressively raised money, including over $250,000 in June alone.
While the uncertainty remains, the community’s response has been a source of strength.
“People are still getting help,” Hawkins said, “People have expressed their relief that our doors are still open,” Hawkins said.
He added the center “received support from politicians at every level of government” and stressed that the support of community leaders and allies is crucial to ensure the center can continue its work.
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