List of Pennsylvania state historical markers in Crawford County

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LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE 1 STAND BY. THIS EVENT WILL BEGIN SHORTLY. >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE STAND BY. BY, THIS EVENT WILL BEGIN SHORTLY. >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE STAND BY. THIS EVENT WILL BEGIN SHORTLY. >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE STAND BY. >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE STAND BY. THIS EVENT WILL BEGIN SHORTLY. PLEASE STAND BY. >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE STAND BY. THIS EVENT WILL BEGIN SHORTLY. >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE STAND BY. THIS EVENT WILL BEGIN SHORTLY. >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE STAND BY. THIS EVENT WILL BEGIN SHORTLY. >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE STAND BY. THIS EVENT WILL BEGIN SHORTLY. >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE STAND BY. THIS EVENT WILL BEGIN SHORTLY. >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE STAND BY. THIS EVENT WILL BEGIN SHORTLY. >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE STAND BY. THIS EVENT WILL BEGIN SHORTLY. >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE STAND BY. THIS EVENT WILL BEGIN SHORTLY. 2 >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE STAND BY. THIS EVENT WILL BEGIN SHORTLY. >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE STAND BY. THIS EVENT WILL BEGIN SHORTLY. >> CAN YOU HEAR ME? NO, YOU CAN'T HEAR? >> YOU CAN HEAR ME NOW? YOU CAN HEAR ME OVER THERE? >> YEAH, GREAT, WE CAN GET STARTED. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS MICHAEL RIANDO, WELCOME TO HUD GLOBE'S 22ND ANNUAL PRIDE EVENT, THE DEPARTMENT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR THE LBGTQ COMMUNITY, PHILANTHROPY AND HUD WORKING TOGETHER, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS JOINED US, INCLUDING DENVER. DO WE HAVE DENVER ON THE LINE? HI DENVER! WE ARE HERE THIS AFTERNOON BECAUSE WE SHARE A COMMON INTEREST IN PROMOTING EQUALITY FOR ALL PEOPLE, REGARDLESS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY. HUD GLOBE ADVOCATES FOR NONDISCRIMINATION POLICES AND PRACTICES IN ALL OF HUD'S PROGRAMS. SEEKS EQUAL BENEFITS FOR ALL HUD EMPLOYEES. AND ADVOCATES FOR PERSONNEL PRACTICES THAT ENCOURAGE DIVERSITY. BUT IT CAN'T BE DONE WITHOUT THE HELP AND SUPPORT OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU. THANK YOU. ON MAY 29, 2015, PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA PROCLAIMED JUNE 2015 AS LESBIAN, GAY, 3 BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH. I'D LIKE TO SHARE A QUOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT'S PROCLAMATION: ALL PEOPLE DESERVE TO LIVE WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT, FREE FROM FEAR AND VIOLENCE, AND PROTECTED AGAINST DISCRIMINATION, REGARDLESS OF THEIR GENDER IDENTITY OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION. TODAY'S EVENT IS ABOUT TURNING THE PRESIDENT'S VISION INTO A REALITY, AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR NEXT SPEAKER, OUR FIRST GUEST HOLDS A B., A IN ECONOMICS, IN COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA AND COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF -- AND UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-BERKELEY. SHE SPENT FOUR YEARS AS POLICY ADVISER AND BUDGET DIRECTOR FOR SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR GAVIN NEWSOME, FIVE YEARS AT U.S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, TWO YEARS AS THE SECRETARY FOR MANAGEMENT, AND CURRENTLY SHE IS THE SECOND MOST SENIOR OFFICIAL AT HUD, WHERE SHE MANAGES THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING A $45 BILLION ANNUAL BUDGET AND OVER 8000 EMPLOYEES. SHE IS A RECIPIENT OF THE NATIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD, THE PUBLIC POLICY AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICER'S ASSOCIATION DISTINGUISHED BUDGET PRESENTATION AWARD, AND THE FED 100 AWARD. I'M HAPPY TO PRESENT OUR SPEAKER TODAY, DEPUTY 4 SECRETARY NANI COLORETTI. >> [APPLAUSE] >> GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! THANK YOU MICHAEL. THAT WAS A REALLY NICE INTRODUCTION. AND FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS. AND MICHAEL AND HIS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, INCLUDING HUD GLOBE'S PRESIDENT SAM PEARSON-MOORE, IS SAM IN THE AUDIENCE? NO, OKAY. NOT HERE TODAY. I'M THINKING OF YOU SAM. >>> SO THEY HAVE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB ORGANIZING OUR PANEL WHICH WE'LL GET TO IN A MINUTE. YOU'RE PANEL FEATURES GREAT AND OUTSTANDING LEADERS AND SHE DESERVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE BEFORE WE EVEN INTRODUCE THEM. >> [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. SO I HAVE A QUICK SPEECH HERE. WE MEET TODAY AT ONE OF THE MOST PROMISING TIMES FOR THE LBGTQ CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN OUR HISTORY. RY WITH LIKELY IN A FEW WEEKS OR MAYBE IN A FEW DAYS, A FEW DAYS AWAY FROM A LANDMARK RULING FROM THE SUPREME COURT WHICH WE HOPE WILL RECOGNIZE THE RIGHT OF EVERY AMERICAN TO MARRY THE PERSON THEY LOVE. AND I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WHEN THEY DO RECOGNIZE THAT RIGHT, THE JUSTICES WILL BE LISTENING TO THE VOICES OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. THERE'S A RECENT NATIONAL POLL OUT THAT SHOWS SUPPORT FOR SAME SEX MARRIAGE IS AT A 5 RECORD HIGH, 61 PERCENT OF AMERICANS NOW FAVOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY. THAT GROWING SUPPORT, ACCEPTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING, IS A TESTAMENT TO ALL THE BRAVE AMERICANS WHO ARE WILLING TO SPEAK OPENLY AND HONESTLY TO THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS WITHOUT KNOWING HOW THEIR TRUTHS WOULD BE RECEIVED. IT'S ALSO A TESTAMENT TO THE TIRELESS WORK OF COUNTLESS MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE REMAINED ON THE FRONT LINES OF THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, LEADERS WHO HAVE BEEN A CHAMPION OF FOLKS WHO OFTEN NEED SOMEONE IN THEIR CORNER THE MOST. I HAVE TO SAY I WAS AT SAN FRANCISCO CITY HALL WHEN MAYOR GAVIN NEWSOME OPENED IT UP FOR GAY MARRIAGES, AND ALLOWED THAT TO HAPPEN, ACTUALLY DIRECTED TO ISSUE MARRIAGE LICENSES IN SAN FRANCISCO AND THE ENERGY IN CITY HALL WAS UNPARALLELED. THERE WERE LINES AROUND THE BLOCK, PEOPLE FLEW IN, THERE WERE A LOT OF TEARS, THERE WERE A LOT OF JUST AMAZING STORIES, AND WE KIND OF DID THOSE FOR AS LONG AS WE COULD BEFORE WE GOT SOME SIGNED OF INJUNCTION THAT SAID WE COULDN'T DO ANYMORE. BUT SO BACK THEN, I COULDN'T HAVE IMAGINED THAT THE ISSUE WOULD HAVE GONE SO FAR, SO QUICKLY. SO IN ANY EVENT, AT HUD, OUR DEPARTMENT, WHICH SECRETARY CASTRO CALLS IT THE DEPARTMENT OF OPPORTUNITY, HAS MADE LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD FOR ALL AMERICANS A CENTRAL PART OF OUR MISSION. 6 FULFILLING THAT MISSION MEANS THAT WE ARE WORKING IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION TO ENSURE THAT SAME SEX COUPLES AND LBGTQ INDIVIDUALS AREN'T VICTIMS OF HOUSING DISCRIMINATION AND IF THEY ARE, WE AT HUD WILL FIGHT ON THEIR BEHALF. THAT'S WHY IN 2012 WE ISSUED AN EQUAL AXIS -- ACCESS RULE WHICH STATED ALL HUD HOUSING MUST BE MADE AVAILABLE WITHOUT WITH REGARD TO SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY OR MARITAL STATUS AND ISSUED OUR GUIDANCE ON THIS RULE TO FURTHER PROTECT THOSE SEEKING EMERGENCY SHELTER OR OTHER FACILITIES, EFFORTS THAT WILL MAKE A PROFOUND DIFFERENCE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE. FOR EXAMPLE, TRANSGENDER AMERICANS WHO ARE AT GREATER RISK OF HOMELESSNESS, OFTEN ENCOUNTER MORE OBSTACLES WHEN THEY SEEK SHELTER. IN SOME CASES THEY ARE JUST TURNED AWAY FROM THE SHELTERS, IN OTHERS THEY WILL BE ACCEPTED, BUT ONLY IN A SHELTER FOR THE WRONG GENDER. AND EVEN WHEN TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS ARE PLACED IN THE RIGHT SHELTER, THEY WILL SOMETIMES BE SEGREGATED AND TOLD TO USE SEPARATE FACILITIES. THIS IS AN INJUSTICE THAT ANY TRANSGENDER PERSON IS MISTREATED WHEN THEY ARE SEEKING HELP AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE ISSUED NEW GUIDANCE SO THAT PROVIDERS TREAT ALL AMERICANS WITH THE DIGNITY THEY DESERVE. AND WE ARE NOT STOPPING THERE. FULFILLING OUR MISSION ALSO MEANS THAT WE ARE WORKING TO 7 GET MORE OF OUR LBGTQ YOUTH OFF THE STREETS AND INTO SECURE HOUSING AND SO THIS YEAR WE FORMED A PARTNERSHIP OF THE TRUE COLORS FUND AND OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES TO SUPPORT LBGTQ USE WHO HAVE BEEN THROWN OUT OF HOMES OR RUN AWAY FROM THEM BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN REJECTED OR FEAR THEY WILL BE REJECTED FOR WHO THEY ARE. SO AS PART OF THIS EFFORT, WE LAUNCHED A FIRST OF ITS KIND PILOT IN TWO COMMUNITIES, HOUSTON AND CINCINNATI, AND THIS EFFORT FOCUSES ON PREVENTION AND WILL GO ALL IN BY WORKING WITH FAMILIES TO ADDRESS AND PREVENT THE CONFLICT THAT LBGTQS ARE OFTEN SUBJECT TO, SO I WANT TO THANK GREGORY LEWIS WHO IS HERE TODAY, FROM THE TRUE COLORS FUND. HE IS A TRUE COLORS FUND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR HIS LEADERSHIP. >> [APPLAUSE] >> >> FINALLY, I'LL PROUD TO SAY THAT HUD IS WORKING TO FULFILL OUR MISSION BY PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR AMERICANS LIVING WITH HIV. THIS IS A VIRUS WE KNOW DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTS THE LBGTQ COMMUNITY. PRESIDENT OBAMA BELIEVES THAT HOUSING IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS IN REDUCING THE SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS AND IN HELPING THOSE WHO HAVE HIV TO LIVE LONGER AND HEALTHIER LIVES. SO THAT'S WHY THE PRESIDENT REQUESTS $232 MILLION IN HUD'S NEXT BUDGET. IT'S A $2 MILLION INCREASE 8 FROM LAST YEAR, TO PROVIDE HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR LOW INCOME PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV AND THEIR FAMILIES ACROSS AMERICA. AND I WANT TO THANK MICHAEL KAPLAN AT A UNITED FOR HIS PARTNERSHIP AND HELPING HUD TO MEET THIS NEED FOR OUR FELLOW CITIZENS. THANK YOU MICHAEL. >> [APPLAUSE] >> ISN'T IT GREAT THAT WE CAN HAVE AN EVENT HERE THAT'S SPONSORED BY GLOBE THAT HAS LIKE REALLY COOL PEOPLE ON OUR PANEL, SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WORK HERE? THIS IS REALLY FANTASTIC. >> WHILE WE'VE MADE ENORMOUS PROGRESS AS AN AGENCY AND AS A NATION, WE KNOW WE HAVE A WAYS TO GO ON THE JOURNEY TO ENSURING THAT EVERY LBGTQ AMERICAN HAS THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE FREEDOM TO LIVE OUT HIS OR HER DREAMS. WE KNOW THAT ACHIEVING FULL EQUALITY WILL TAKE THE PARTNERSHIP OF OUR ALLIES AND OUR CHAMPIONS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO THIS WORK, AND THAT'S WHAT TODAY'S DISCUSSION IS ABOUT, HOW CAN HUD AND THE REST OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BETTER COLLABORATE WITH THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY TO EXPAND HOUSING OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE AMERICANS, AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR PANELISTS. THEY ARE ALL COLLEAGUES, THEY ARE EITHER OUR COLLEAGUE OR AMONG OUR AGENCY'S CLOSEST PARTNERS, FOR AGREEING TO THEIR THEIR INSIGHT, WISDOM AND TIME WITH US TODAY. IT'S REALLY GREAT. 9 AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SPEAK HONESTLY ABOUT THESE ISSUES TELLS ME YOU SHARE MY HOPE THAT WE WILL CREATE A FAIRER, FREER AND MORE JUST NATION THAT ALL AMERICANS DESERVE, BECAUSE AS A CIVIL RIGHTS ICON, HARVEY MILK ONCE SAID HOPE IS NEVER SILENT. SO THANK YOU, AND LET'S HAVE A GREAT CONVERSATION. >> [APPLAUSE] >> >> GOOD AFTERNOON, I'M HARRIET TRAGONI FOR COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT AND I'M SO HONORED AND JOYOUS TO BE HERE AT HUD'S SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE PRIDE CELEBRATION AND ESPECIALLY TO BE ON THE SAME STAGE AS DEPUTY SECRETARY COLORETTI AND MY GOOD FRIEND, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR FAIR HOUSING AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, GUSTAVO VELAZQUEZ. THESE ANNUAL EVENTS DEMONSTRATE NOT JUST THE MISSION OF HUD GLOBE, BUT ALSO WHAT THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION'S COMMITMENT TO FURTHERING EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PEOPLE IS REALLY ALL ABOUT, AND THE PAST SEVEN YEARS HAS BEEN AN ASTONISHING TIME. GIVING US AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT TO CELEBRATE. THIS YEAR, THE PRESIDENT BECAME THE FIRST PRESIDENT EVER TO SAY THE WORDS TRANSGENDER IN A STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS. FOR THE FIRST TIME, RECOGNIZING TRANSGENDER AMERICANS AS DESERVING OF PROTECTION FROM DISCRIMINATION. 10 OF COURSE THE ADMINISTRATION AND HUD'S WORK HAVE NOT BEEN LIMITED TO LIP SERVICE. WITH YOUR HELP, WE HAVE MADE CHANGES TO OUR PROGRAM AND CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS, AND OUR OWN EMPLOYEE PRACTICES HERE AT HUD. IT WAS SEVEN YEARS AGO THAT HUD GLOBE AND THEN SECRETARY DONOVAN STAFF COCREATED THE FIRST PRIDE MONTH CELEBRATION IN MORE THAN A DECADE. THAT EVENT KICKED OFF WITH A VIDEO WHERE HUD EMPLOYEES TOLD THEIR OWN STORIES OF UNEQUAL TREATMENT. DO YOU REMEMBER THOSE VIDEOS? I MEAN, IT WAS HARD TO WATCH SOME OF THEM. IN ONE OF THOSE VIDEOS, MARION MCFADDEN, WHO HAS BEEN A CAREER ATTORNEY IN OGC DESCRIBED THE INJUSTICE OF HAVING TO PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO PURCHASE A HEALTH INSURANCE POLICY ON THE OPEN MARKET FOR HER PARTNER WHO WAS A STAY AT HOME MOM RAISING THEIR TWO KIDS, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME SHE HAD TO PAY A FAMILY POLICY TO COVER UNDER THE FEDERAL HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN TO CARE FOR HERSELF AND THE CHILDREN. BECAUSE OF THE DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COULDN'T ALLOW SAME SEX PARTNERS TO BE INCLUDED ON HEALTH INSURANCE POLICES BUT THE SUPREME COURT STRUCK DOWN THAT LAW IN 2013 AND NOW FEDERAL EMPLOYEES CAN ADD THEIR LEGALLY MARRIED SPOUSES TO THEIR HEALTH PLANS. DEBBIE RIZZO OF THE EMPLOYEES ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TOLD A REALLY HEARTBREAKING STORY OF SUPPORTING HER LIFE PARTNER 11 THROUGH A BATTLE WITH TERMINAL CANCER. AT THE TIME, THERE WASN'T HUD OR FEDERAL POLICY GUARANTEEING THE USE OF FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE. BENEFITS TO CARE FOR SAME SEX PARTNER AND DECISION BASKETBALL WHETHER OR NOT YOU COULD USE THAT LEAVE WERE LEFT UP TO YOUR SUPERVISOR. DEBBIE'S SUPERVISOR MADE DISPARAGING REMARKS ABOUT LBGT PEOPLE AND EVEN FORBIDDING HER TO DISCUSS HER SEXUAL ORIENTATION WITH HUD STAFF. AFRAID THAT IF SHE TOOK LEAVE SHE'D LOSE HER JOB. DEBBIE WENT TO COURT PROCEEDINGS TO HAVE HER PARTNER ADOPT HER, AND THEN DEBBIE TOLD HER COWORKERS SHE WAS TAKING LEAVE TO TAKE CARE OF HER DYING MOTHER. I MEAN, THIS WASN'T THAT LONG AGO. I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT THE UNEQUAL TREATMENT OF ANY LBGT PERSON IS A DISGRACE TO ALL OF US. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO FIGHT TO BE TREATED EQUALLY, WHETHER TO GAIN ACCESS TO BENEFITS AND OTHERS LIKE PUBLIC HOUSING AND MORTGAGE INSURANCE TO BUY A HOME OR FOR HUD EMPLOYEES TO GET EQUAL BENEFITS TO BETTER CARRY OUT HUD'S OWN MISSION. SECRETARY DONOVAN DECLARED HE WANTED TO MAKE HUD THE MOST LBGT FRIENDLY AGENCY IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND SECRETARY CASTRO IS PASSIONATE ABOUT TAKING US EVEN FURTHER. THE PAST SEVEN YEARS HAVE BROUGHT CHANGES TO HOW HUD PROGRAMS ARE ADMINISTERED. 12 WE WERE THE FIRST AGENCY TO REQUIRE EQUAL ACCESS TO HOUSING AND RESOURCES, REGARDLESS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY. SOMETHING THAT NONI MENTIONED, OUR LANDMARK EQUAL ACCESS RULE ENSURES ALL HOUSING FUNDED WITH PUBLIC DOLLARS WITH CDBG GRANTS ARE MADE AVAILABLE REGARDLESS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY. FHA INSURED MORTGAGES MUST BE MADE AVAILABLE FREE FROM DISCRIMINATION, ENSURING THAT SAME SEX COUPLES ARE ABLE TO PURCHASE A HOME JUST LIKE ANY OTHER COUPLE. AS SECRETARY, DEPUTY SECRETARY COLORETTI MENTIONED THIS YEAR, SECRETARY CASTRO RULED OUT NEW GUIDANCE ON APPLYING THE EQUAL ACCESS RULE TO SAME SEX SHELTERS, HUD EXPECTS GRANTEES TO SERVE PEOPLE CONSISTENT WITH GENDER IDENTITY SO PEOPLE WHO MOST NEED THE HOMELESS SERVICES ARE TREATED WITH DIGNITY WHEN THEY ARRIVE TO RECEIVE THEM. OUR OFFICE OF POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH HAS DONE GROUND BREAKING ANALYSIS ON DISCRIMINATION AGAINST SAME SEX COUPLES IN THE RENTAL HOUSING MARKET, AND THE PRESIDENT LAST YEAR ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER PROHIBITING FEDERAL CONTRACTORS FROM DISCRIMINATING AGAINST EMPLOYEES AND PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES ON THE BASIS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY. WE'VE WORKED HARD TO EDUCATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ON BEST PRACTICES AND I COULD GO 13 ON AND ON, ON THE WAY LIFE HAS IMPROVED IN RECENT YEARS FROM THE REPEAL OF DON'T ASK DON'T TELL, TO THE APPOINTMENT OF A RECORD NUMBER OF LBGT APPOINTEES TO THE VETERAN'S ADMINISTRATION'S DIRECTIVE TO MAKE APPROPRIATE MEDICAL CARE AVAILABLE, TO TRANSGENDER VETERANS, INCLUDING HORMONE THERAPY. BUT TODAY, I THINK WE WANT TO COLLECTIVELY FOCUS ON THE WORK THAT IS YET TO BE DONE. THE WORK THAT LBGT KIDS AND ADULTS ARE COUNTING ON US TO DO TO GET THEM OFF THE STREETS AND INTO DECENT, SAFE AND SECURE HOUSING FREE FROM DISCRIMINATION. A PART OF MY WORK AT HUD HAS FOCUSED ON DISASTER RESILIENCE, HELPING COMMUNITIES TO BETTER PREPARE FOR NATURAL DISASTERS AND OTHER SHOCKS AND STRESSES AND TO COME BACK EVEN STRONGER AFTER A DEVASTATING EVENT LIKE A FLOOD OR TORNADO. I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER MODEL OF RESILIENCE IN MANY WAYS THAN THE LBGT COMMUNITY, WHO HAS SHOWN BY BANDING TOGETHER AND REALLY WORKING FOR JUSTICE, THEY CAN -- WE CAN REALLY USHER IN A WHOLE NEW ERA OF DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND ACCEPTANCE. THE RESILIENCE WORK HUD HAS DONE HAS BEEN GREATLY ENRICHED BY OUR COLLABORATIONS WITH PHILANTHROPY, INCLUDING THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION,JPB, THE COMMUNITY FUND OF NEW JERSEY, DEUTSCHE BANK FOUNDATION, THE SERTA FOUNDATION, AND THEY'VE WORKED WITH US TO TEACH 14 STATES, COUNTIES AND CITIES HOW TO BETTER USE THEIR FEDERAL AND OTHER FUNDS TO ACCOMPLISH COMMON AND ALIGNED GOALS, IN THIS CASE, REBUILDING IN WAYS THAT PROTECT PEOPLE AND PROPERTY FROM FUTURE HARM. WORKING WITH PHILANTHROPY ENABLED US TO BE MORE NIMBLE AND RESPONSIVE TO COMMUNITIES' NEEDS AND IMPROVE THE CORE WAY THAT WE DO BUSINESS. I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE DISCUSSION THAT IS GOING TO FOLLOW, ABOUT HOW WE CAN DO THAT TO FURTHER HUD'S LGBTQ WORK, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR THE CONVERSATION. FIRST, LET ME INTRODUCE YOUR AMAZING MODERATOR, ANNA LIVA, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR SPECIAL NEEDS HERE AT HUD. SHE IS THE PERSON WHO OVERSEES THE OFFICE OF THE HIV AIDS HOUSING AND THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL NEEDS. SHE ALSO IS, LOOK WITH JENNIFER HO, KIND OF THE BASE OF OUR EFFORTS TO DEAL IN A MOST HEROIC FASHION WITH THE ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS. SHE IS DOING AMAZING WORK TO END HOMELESSNESS FOR VETERANS, FOR FAMILIES, FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, FOR YOUTH, AND I'VE DISCOVERED THAT SHE IS A FORCE OF NATURE. BUT, TODAY, SHE IS ALSO YOUR MODERATOR! LET ME TURN IT OVER TO ANN. >> [APPLAUSE] >> >> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. AND THANK YOU, HARRIET SO, MUCH FOR THAT VERY KIND INTRODUCTION. 15 AND THANK YOU TO HUD GLOBE FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY TO FACILITATE THIS IMPORTANT DISCUSSION ABOUT WAYS THAT WE AT HUD CAN WORK WITH OUR PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERS TO CREATE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE LBGT COMMUNITY AND PROMOTE EQUAL ACCESS IN ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS FOR ALL PEOPLE, REGARDLESS OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE COLLECTIVELY WHO ARE LEADERS IN OUR RESPECTIVE FIELDS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF US IN THE ROOM TODAY AND WATCHING ON THE TELECAST, THAT WE PURSUE INNOVATION AND PUSH BOUNDARIES, BECAUSE WE ARE THE ONES WHO ARE POISED TO DO SO, AND WE ARE ALSO THE ONES THAT CAN MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN. AND SO I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY IMPORTANT DISCUSSION THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY. I'M PARTICULARLY PLEASED TO BE HERE BECAUSE I'VE HAD THE CHANCE TO DO EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT TODAY, AND I THINK THAT I'VE BEEN CHANGED. I CHANGED THE WAY THAT I THINK AND I CHANGED THE WAY THAT I DO BUSINESS BECAUSE OF THE COLLABORATION THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HEAR A LITTLE ABOUT PROBABLY FROM GREGORY. I WOULD IMAGINE THAT GREGORY WILL MENTION IT. I'VE WORKED BOTH INSIDE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND OUTSIDE OF THE GOVERNMENT TO INNOVATE, TO POOL OUR RESOURCES AND ENERGY, AND TO CREATE NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE LBGTQ YOUTH, AND I 16 THINK IMPORTANTLY, COMMENTARY FROM MEMBERS OF THE LBGT COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE SUPPORTED IN THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE RUN AND THAT WE FUND, AND TO LEARN FROM THEM, FROM ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, TO ENSURE WE ARE MAKING GOOD DECISIONS AS WE GO FORWARD. SO I THINK ONCE YOU'VE SEEN HOW THIS CAN WORK AND YOU'VE HEARD FROM THIS AWESOME PANEL, YOU, LIKE ME, WILL LOOK FOR NEW WAYS TO PURSUE THESE KINDS OF RELATIONSHIPS TO BENEFIT THE DEPARTMENT, THE COMMUNITY, AND EVERYBODY THAT WE SERVE. SO LET'S GET ON WITH HEARING FROM OUR DISTINGUISHED PANEL TODAY, WHO I AM VERY EXCITED TO HEAR FROM. I'M GOING TO DO A QUICK INTRODUCTION, AND THEN LET THEM ALL GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF MINUTES ABOUT THE WORK THAT THEY DO AND THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEY WORK FOR. WE HAVE MICHAEL KAPLAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF AIDS UNITED, LYLE MATTHEW KOHN, DIRECTOR OF IRAN AND COMMUNICATIONS WITH FUNDERS FOR LBGTQ ISSUES, GREGORY LEWIS, MY GOOD FRIEND, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TRUE COLORS FUND, GOTHAM WATAFUN AT THE POLICY FOUNDATION AND OUR SECRETARY FOR FAIR HOUSING OPPORTUNITY, I WILL START WITH YOU AND ASK YOU TO GIVE A COUPLE OF MINUTES ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU DO AND SORT OF THE UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE THAT YOU BRING TO THE WORK. >> HI. MY NAME IS MICHAEL KAPLAN. BEFORE I GO INTO MY CURRENT 17 WORK, I HAVE TO DO A TINY NOTE, WHICH IS IN 1992 WAS MY FIRST NONPROFIT JOB, WHICH WAS FOUNDING -- BACK THEN WE SAID LESBIAN AND GAY AND THEN B AND T AND Q AND YOUTH SECTOR. ONE OF THE VERY FIRST FEDERAL STREAMS OF FUNDING WAS HUD IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING THE LBGTQ, THAT WAS A COLLABORATION OF MANY AGENCIES IN MINNEAPOLIS CALLED STREET WORKS. SO I WANT TO BE CLEAR, FOR DECADES, YOU HAD BEEN MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF LBGTQ YOUTH AND ADULTS. SO YES, THANK YOU. WHAT I CURRENTLY DO, I WORK AS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF AIDS UNITED. WE ARE FORMED OUT OF THE MERGER OF TWO GROUPS, ONE WAS THE NATIONAL AIDS FUND, FORMED BY A BOARD FOUNDATION, ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO, TO LEVERAGE PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY IN RESPONSE TO AIDS AND THE OTHERS IS AIDS ACTION, THE POLICY ON BEHALF OF THE MAJOR AIDS SERVICE ORGANIZATION ACROSS THE COUNTRY. TODAY WE BASICALLY DO THOSE THINGS, STRATEGIC GRANT MAKING, BETWEEN SIX AND $7 MILLION A YEAR IN GRANT MAKING, THAT REALLY FOCUSES ON WHAT I HOPE IS COMPLEMENTARY BUT NOT DUPLICATIVE OF GOVERNMENT. ABOUT A MILLION AND A HALF LOOKS AT POLICY BARRIERS IN TERMS OF HIV, WE DO -- WE ARE THE LARGEST PRIVATE FUNDER IN COLLABORATION WITH SEVERAL OTHER FOUNDATIONS OF SYRINGE ACCESS, AND THEN WE LOOK TO DEVELOP A BETA MODEL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FEDERAL 18 GOVERNMENT, UNDER THE SOCIAL INNOVATION FUND, AND I DO, I WANT TO LINK THE HIV VERY EXPLICITLY WITH LBGTQ, AND THAT IS WE HAVE SEEN THE INITIAL RESPONSE THAT -- I TESTED POSITIVE IN 1992, WE SAW THE EPIDEMIC IN THE '80S AND BACK THEN, IT WAS VERY CLEAR, IT WAS, BACK THEN, GAY RESPONSE, LESBIAN SISTERS, HELP ME OUT, MY SEXUAL FOLK, BUT IT REALLY WAS A COMMUNITY RESPONSE, AND WE SAW OVER THE DECADES, AS THE FEDERAL FUNDING GREW, A LOT OF STEPPING BACK OF COMMUNITIES, MOBILIZATION, AND IN COMMUNITY OWNING RESPONSES. SO PART OF WHAT WE DO NOW IN PARTNERSHIP ACTUALLY WITH ANOTHER FEDERAL AGENCY, CDC, IS HOW DO WE MOBILIZE NATIONAL, LOCAL LBGTQ ORGANIZATIONS, SO MY ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN WORKING WITH GROUPS LIKE HIC, THE TASK FORCE, GLIFFEN AND GLAD, TO GET HIV BACK ON TO THEIR NATIONAL AGENDA. AND I THINK THERE ARE GOOD OUTCOMES. WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST TWO YEARS SOME NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT WENT FOR YEARS WITHOUT THE WORD HIV IN THEIR ANNUAL REPORTS OR THEIR WORK. IT'S BACK ON THEIR AGENDAS. AND WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT? TODAY WE'RE AT 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE WITH HIV, 50,000 NEW INFECTIONS EACH YEAR, BUT TO BE VERY CLEAR, EPIDEMIC HAS GONE DOWN IN INJECTING DRUG USERS, HETEROSEXUALS, MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION. THE ONLY POPULATION TO DATE STILL GROWING IN EPIDEMIC, YOUNG GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN 19 AND PARTICULARLY GAY MEN OF COLOR, TO A POINT IF YOU GO TO PLACES LIKE ATLANTA AND DETROIT, A BLACK GAY MEN HAS A CHANCE OF ONE IN TWO BY THE AGE OF 40 TO BEING HIV POSITIVE AND IN MANY MAJOR CITIES ONE IN FIVE GAY MEN ARE LIVING WITH HIV, SO THIS FOCUS THERE OF LBGTQ AND HIV, CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. AND AS I SHARE ALL THAT DATA I WILL ALSO SHARE -- CAN'T SHARE IT REGARDING TRANSGENDER WOMEN, ALL I CAN SAY IS WE KNOW WE ARE SEEING RATES 30, 40 TIMES HIGH AS HIGH IN TRANSWOMEN, ALMOST TWICE AS ANY OTHER POPULATION BUT WE HAVE FAILED IN COLLECT BE GOOD DATA. WE SEEK TO BE A PARTNER WITH THE FEDERAL AGENCIES IN HOW WE DEVELOP NEW MODELS, HOW WE DO ADVOCACY AT THE STATE LEVEL, LEGISLATIVE LEVEL, IN REMOVING BARRIERS. THAT'S A QUICK NUTSHELL OF WHO WE ARE. >> LET'S MOVE ON DOWN THE LINE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. MY NAME IS LYLE, I WORK AT FUNDERS FOR LBGTQ ISSUES. FUNDERS FOR LBGTQ ISSUES IS A NETWORK OF FOUNDATIONS AND CORPORATIONS THAT HAS DEDICATED ITSELF TO INCREASING FILL AN -- PHILANTHROPIC RESOURCES FOR LBGTQ COMMUNITIES. CURRENTLY THERE ARE 130 MILLION ANNUALLY THAT COMES FROM PRIVATE FUNDS, OR DOLLARS, THAT GOES TO LBGTQ COMMUNITIES AND WHILE THAT MAY SEEM LIKE A LOT, PHILANTHROPY AWARDS 20 550-$55 BILLION SO, BASICALLY FOR EVERY $100 THAT FOUNDATIONS ARE AWARDING, ONLY 24 CENTS GOES TO LBGTQ COMMUNITIES, SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE ARE TRYING TO CHANGE AND WE HAVE A BUNCH OF MEMBERS THAT ARE BOTH FOUNDATIONS LIKE THE GILL FOUNDATIONS AND CORPORATIONS THAT ARE WORKING -- WORK TO INCREASE IT IN THREE WAYS. WE WORK TO CONVENE AND SUPPORT COLLECTIVE ACTION AMONGST OUR MEMBERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY FUNDING LBGTQ ISSUES. WE HAVE AN ANNUAL CONFERENCE, WE BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN REENGAGE THE LBGTQ FUNDERS IN SUPPORTING AIDS RESPONSES. WE THEN ALSO DO WHAT WE WOULD CALL OUTREACH AND SUPPORT SERVICES, SO WE DO PHILANTHROPIC ADVOCACY TO THE CORPORATIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY NOT FUNDING LBGTQ ISSUES BUT WE THINK HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO SO. THE LAST THING IS RESEARCH, WE DO AN ANNUAL TRACKING REPORT WHERE WE LOOK AT ABOUT 800 FOUNDATIONS, AND LOOK THROUGH ABOUT 4000 GRANTS AND DISSECT WHERE THE FUNDING IS GOING ON AN ANNUAL BASIS SO WE CAN REALLY NOTE SOME OF THE TRENDS, GAPS AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST OUT THERE. AND SO THAT'S IN A NUTSHELL. >> THANK YOU. >> GREGORY? >> GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M GREGORY LEWIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TRUE COLORS FUND, REALLY HONORED TO BE HERE WITH SUCH DEAR FRIENDS AT HUD. 21 AND SOME OF OUR CLOSEST PARTNERS. THE TRUE COLORS FUND, THE NAME MAY GIVE US AWAY, WE WERE FOUNDED BY CYNDI LAUPER. I WON'T DO AN ACCENT, AN IMPERSONATION, WON'T BREAK OUT IN SONG, YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT, BUT STARTED THE ORGANIZATION IN 2008 IN PART BECAUSE OF THE EPIDEMIC OF USE, LBGTS THAT ARE HOMELESS, UP TO 40 PERCENT OF OUR NATION'S YOUTH WHO EXPERIENCE HOMELESS ARE LBGT, AND WE CONFIRMED THAT FACT IN 2011 AS WE TRAVELED AMERICA, BECAUSE A PRIVATE FUNDER ACTUAL UNDERWROTE AND GAVE US A YEAR TO BE ABLE TO STUDY THIS ISSUE, TRAVEL AMERICA, GO TO 12 CITIES, MEET WITH HOMELESS YOUTH PROVIDERS, KIDS, RESEARCHERS. AND IN ADDITION, UNDERWROTE A STUDY WE DID AND SURVEY OF 400 HOMELESS YOUTH PROVIDERS AROUND THE COUNTRY TO GET THEIR INSIGHTS INTO THE ISSUE OF LBGT, HOMELESSNESS AND THE KIDS THEY ARE WORKING WITH. SO MANY THINGS WERE LEARNED THROUGH THAT EFFORT, INCLUDING, AGAIN, SUBSTANTIATING THE FACT THAT 40 PERCENT OF THE KIDS THAT THESE PROGRAMS ARE WORKING WITH ARE LBGT. SO OUT OF THAT ENTIRE EFFORT, WE LAUNCHED THE TRUE COLORS FUNDS WORK IN WHICH WE ARE NOW FULLY FOCUSED AND SOLELY FOCUSED ON THE ISSUE OF LBGT'S HOMELESSNESS. WE FOCUS IN FIVE KEY AREAS AND THE AREAS ARE DRIVEN BY TWO CENTRAL 10ETS, INNOVATION AND COLLABORATION. ONE OF OUR CLOSEST COLLABORATORS IS OUR FRIENDS 22 AT HUD, AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BUT WE FOCUS ON FIRST PUBLIC EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT, REALLY MAKING SURE THE PUBLIC IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND GIVING THEM WAYS TO GET ENGAGED, TWO IS ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC POLICY, SO NOT ONLY ADVOCATING ON CAPITOL HILL BUT WORKING WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION TO ADVANCE STRONG PUBLIC POLICY ON THE ISSUE. THIRD IS YOUTH COLLABORATION. SO WE DON'T -- YOU MAY THINK OF IT AS YOUTH EMPOWERMENT BUT WE ACTUALLY THINK OF IT AS YOUTH COLLABORATION. WE REALLY WORK WITH YOUTH TO DEVELOP THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS, KIDS WHO HAVE BEEN FORMERLY HOMELESS SO THEY CAN BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION. THEY ARE THE EXPERTS OF THEIR EXPERIENCES AND THE ONES THAT NEED TO BE ENGAGED EVEN MORE THAN THEY CURRENTLY ARE. FOURTH IS RESEARCH, WE DO OUR OWN RESEARCH IN HOUSE, AS WELL AS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIVERSITIES LIKE NYU, UCLA, HUNTER COLLEGE. THEN OUR LARGEST SCOPE OF WORK, WHICH IS THE INITIATIVE THAT WE WORK WITH HUD UNDER IS THE COMMUNITY BUILDING WORK, WHICH IS REALLY TWO CENTRAL PIECES: ONE, WE WORK WITH HOMELESS YOUTH PROVIDERS AND PROVIDE THEM FREE RESOURCES, TOOLS AND GUIDANCE ACROSS THE COUNTRY SO THAT THEY CAN ENSURE THEY ARE PROVIDING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR LBGT, AND ON THE GROUND WORK IS ACTUALLY IN COMMUNITIES, AND LOOKING AT BROAD-BASED COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS TO PREVENTING AN 23 ENDING YOUTH HOMELESSNESS FOR LBGT YOUTH, AND CINCINNATI AND HOUSTON WITH THE INITIATIVE WITH HUD BUT ALSO OTHER COMMUNITIES LIKE NASHVILLE, MIAMI. WE ARE ENGAGED IN STRONG SYSTEMIC CHANGE, WORKING WITH LEADERS IN THOSE COMMUNITIES. THAT'S OUR WORK KIND OF IN A NUTSHELL. >> THANK YOU. >> HEY EVERYONE, I'M VICE PRESIDENT OF POLICY AT THE GILL FOUNDATION. I'M ACTUALLY PRETTY NEW TO THE FOUNDATION. WIFE BEEN THERE ABOUT NINE MONTHS AND JOINED THERE AFTER 5 1/2 YEARS IN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, THE LAST THREE AT THE WHITE HOUSE, BEFORE THAT, THE PENTAGON. SO BEFORE I TALK ABOUT THE FOUNDATION I FIRST WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MANY TIMES -- FIRST LET ME SAY HUD HAS AN LEADER ON LBGT ISSUES FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS, 6 1/2 YEARS AND ALTHOUGH IT'S USUALLY THE SECRETARY OR THE PRESIDENT WHO GETS THE CREDIT, I THINK WE KNOW THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM MAKE IT HAPPEN, THE PEOPLE WATCHING ONLINE, ARE REALLY THE ONES WHO DO THIS WORK DAY IN AND DAY OUT SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. I HOPE YOU KNOW IT'S MAKING A BIG IMPACT. THE GILL FOUNDATION HAS BEEN AROUND 20 YEARS. WE WERE LAUNCHED 20 YEARS AGO BY TIM GILL, OUR FOUNDER, WHO IS BASED IN DENVER, COLORADO. LARGELY IN RESPONSE TO AN ANTIGAY PROPOSITION IN COLORADO. 24 AND WHAT HE NOTICED AT THE TIME WAS THAT THERE WAS A LACK OF SORT OF OPENLY GAY PHILANTHROPISTS LEADING THE CHARGE, THE RESPONSE, SO HE STARTED THE FOUNDATION TO DO THAT KIND OF WORK. OVER 20 YEARS WE'VE INVESTED AROUND $300 MILLION IN LBGT CIVIL RIGHTS WORK, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FIGHT FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY, AND RECENTLY, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS SHIFTED OUR ATTENTION TO THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AROUND NONDISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL TREATMENT, SPECIFICALLY IN THE SOUTH. AND SO WE ARE LOOKING AT STATES LIKE GEORGIA, TEXAS AND FLORIDA, BIG STATES WITH LARGE POPULATIONS, LOTS OF LBGT FOLKS WHO NEED PROTECTIONS, BUT WHERE THERE ARE MINIMAL STATE PROTECTIONS THERE. WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS CREATE THE PUBLIC IMPERATIVE FOR ACTION, SO TRYING TO FIELD COALITIONS WITH BUSINESSES AND FAITH LEADERS AND GET PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT ON PEOPLE'S LIVES WHEN THEY DON'T GET ACCESS TO HOUSING OR WHERE THEY CAN'T ACCESS HEALTH CARE OR CAN BE FIRED FOR BEING GAY OR TRANSGENDER. WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN THAT SPACE. THE PORTFOLIO THAT I WORK ON AND AM EXCITED ABOUT SINCE I USED TO BE ON THE RECEIVING END OF IT IS FEDERAL, STATE AND POLICY ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGE, GOING TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WE HAVE A YEAR AND A HALF LEFT IN THIS ADMINISTRATION, WHAT MORE CAN WE DO IN EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY 25 AND STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, PRO LBGT GOVERNORS, SAYING THERE'S A LOT YOU CAN DO, YOU DON'T NEED THE LEGISLATOR TO ACT, YOU CAN PROTECT THESE PEOPLE, AND A LOT OF IT IS BASED ON THE SUCCESS AT A FEDERAL LEVEL, INCLUDING HUD. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. >> LAST BUT NOT LEAST. >> GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE AND HAPPY PRIDE MONTH. THANK YOU TO MY PANELISTS AND THANK YOU TO ANN AND NONI AND HARRIET FOR YOUR PREVIOUS MARKS. I AM ASSISTANT FOR FAIR HOUSING AND LET ME BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT MY OFFICE. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A SMALL OFFICE, BUT A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT OFFICE WITHIN HUD. WE ARE THE CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, AND WE ARE CHARGED WITH PROMOTING, PROTECTING AND UPHOLDING THE VARIOUS AND EXTENSIVE PROVISIONS OF NONDISCRIMINATION UNDER NOT JUST THE FAIR HOUSING ACT BUT OTHER LAWS, CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS, POLICES AND REGULATIONS. AND NOT ONLY, I WOULD SAY THIS IS SOMETHING IMPORTANT THAT I ALWAYS CLARIFY, NOT ONLY CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS FOR PROGRAMS THAT ARE ASSISTED BY HUD, THAT ARE ASSISTED BY FEDERAL DOLLARS, BUT ALSO UNDER THE FAIR HOUSING -- I'M SORRY, THE PRIVATE MARKET, WHICH IS VERY IMPACTFUL, THE WORK THAT WE DO. BEFORE I DESCRIBE SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING, I WANT TO MAKE A STATEMENT BY SAYING THAT WE 26 HAVE NOT REALLY FULFILLED ENTIRELY OUR ASPIRATIONS. AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS OUR ASPIRATIONS IS TO ERADICATE ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION. AND AS YOU WELL KNOW, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION, ARE NOT PROHIBITED BASIS UNDER THE FAIR HOUSING ACT. HOWEVER, UNDER THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, WE HAVE AS A RESULT OF INACTION IN CONGRESS ON THIS FUND, WE HAVE STARTED REALLY PICKING UP THE PACE HERE AT HUD IN TERMS OF ENSURING THAT WE EXPAND OUR PROTECTIONS UNDER CIVIL RIGHTS FOR PERSONS IN THE LBGTQ COMMUNITY. SO THREE AREAS THAT I WOULD HIGHLIGHT IN TERMS OF THE WORK THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING, FIRST ON ENFORCEMENT, WHICH IS THE PRIMARY FUNCTION OF THE OFFICE OF FAIR HOUSING, WE HAVE, BACK FROM 2010, ADOPTED FORMALLY THE PRINCIPLE THAT GENDER IDENTITY IS A FORM OF SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION AND SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION -- TYPICAL STEREOTYPE CASES, FOR EXAMPLE IN THE RENTAL MARKET, WHERE YOU ARE DENIED HOUSING BECAUSE YOU WEAR MAKEUP, BECAUSE YOU ARE DRESSING IN A CERTAIN FORM, WE HAVE FORMALIZED THAT INDUSTRIAL NATION UNDER SEX AND WE HAVE, IN CONCERT WITH HUNDREDS OF FAIR HOUSING PARTNERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY INVESTIGATED AT THIS POINT MORE THAN 150 COMPLAINTS OF DISCRIMINATION THAT WE HAVE ACCEPTED AND THAT WE HAVE INVESTIGATED. UNDER COMPLIANCE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE EQUAL ACCESS 27 RULE, IT WAS REFERRED TO EARLIER, BUT THIS IS A RULE BACK AS YOU KNOW FROM 2012 ENTITLED EQUAL ACCESS TO HOUSING IN HUD PROGRAMS REGARDLESS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY, AND OBVIOUSLY, THIS YEAR, SECRETARY CASTRO HAS BEEN A STEADFAST SUPPORTER OF INCLUDING ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE, HOW TO BEST PROVIDE SHELTER TO TRANSGENDER PERSONS IN SINGLE SEX SHELTERS AND OTHER FACILITIES. SO THIS EQUAL ACCESS RULE, OUR OFFICE PARTICIPATES WITH THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS ACROSS HUD TO MAKE SURE THAT, INDEED, WE ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING IN THE AREA OF MAKING SURE THAT RECIPIENTS OF HUD FUNDING, INCLUDING OWNERS AND ADMINISTRATORS OF HUD-ASSISTED AND FHA-INSURED HOUSING, ARE NOT INQUIRING INFORMATION BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY. AND THE THIRD AREA THAT I WOULD SAY IS CRITICAL IS THE AREA OF RESEARCH. AND BACK IN 2012, IN AN EFFORT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF HOUSING DISCRIMINATION, AN OFFICE HERE WITHIN HUD, THE ROBUST POLICY OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, COMMISSIONED THIS NATIONWIDE STUDY THAT PRODUCED RESULTS THAT WE WERE NOT THAT SURPRISED WITH. RESULTS THAT SHOW THAT, INDEED, SAME SEX COUPLES EXPERIENCE ADVERSE TREATMENT MORE OFTEN THAN HETEROSEXUAL COUPLES WHEN RESPONDING TO INTERNET ADVERTISEMENTS FOR RENTAL UNITS. 28 THEN THE STUDY ALSO SHOWED THAT MALE COUPLES WERE MORE LIKELY THAN LESBIAN COUPLES TO EXPERIENCE THIS FORM OF DISCRIMINATION. SO IN THESE THREE AREAS, COMPLIANCE AND RESEARCH, WE CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION HUD IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF EXPANDING OUR PROTECTION FOR THE LBGTQ COMMUNITY. >> THANK YOU. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR THAT SORT OF CONTEXT, SO YOU KNOW HOW THEY ARE GOING TO BE RESPONDING TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE FOR YOU. SO I WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON -- FIRST I ACTUALLY WANT TO NOTE SOMETHING THAT YOU JUST SAID, GUSTAVO, YOU SAID WE HAVE NOT FULFILLED IN ITS ENTIRETY OUR ASPIRATIONS AND I WOULD IMAGINE THAT ALL OF US FEEL THE SAME WAY. THAT'S WHY WE COME TO WORK EVERY DAY, BECAUSE WE HAVE CERTAIN ASPIRATIONS THAT WE HAVEN'T QUITE GOTTEN TO, BUT THE WAY THAT WE SAY IT IN THE HOMELESS WORLD IS WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK LEFT TO DO, SO I HOPE THAT WE CAN DO THIS WORK TOGETHER, AND I WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON A POINT THAT WAS MADE BY GAVOM, AND THAT IS CAN THE PANELISTS DISCUSS SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR HUD TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE AND A MORE SUPPORTIVE PARTNER IN THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING AND I WANT TO START WITH YOU GUSTAVO SINCE YOU ARE A HUD REPRESENTATIVE ON THE PANEL. >> WITH THE COMMUNITY, AT LEAST I SPEAK FOR MY OFFICE, THERE IS A LOT MORE THAT WE CAN DO. 29 I JUST MENTIONED THE STUDY THAT WE CONDUCTED FROM 2012 THAT GIVES US -- YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT IN THAT STUDY THAT GIVES US MORE DETAILS IN THE AREAS OF OWNERSHIP THAT WE CAN BE -- PARTNERS THAT WE CAN BE ENHANCING WITH THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY. MORE COMMUNICATION. I MEAN, WE HOLD REGULAR MEETINGS WITH SOME OF THE NATIONAL LBGTQ ORGANIZATIONS, BUT I THINK THAT THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS THIS WORK SHOULD BE INVOLVED. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE MAJOR AREAS IN OUR COMPLIANCE WORK THAT AFFECT THIS IS COMMUNITY AND WE HAVE THE DATA, WE SHOULD BE COMMUNICATING WHAT ARE THE AREAS THAT NEED MORE SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY. WE ALSO HAVE EXTENSIVE WORK WITH HUNDREDS OF FAIR HOUSING ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WHERE STATE AND LOCAL ORDINANCES DO HAVE SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY PROTECTIONS, AND WE GATHERED A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IS THE MEAT ON THE GROUND IN EXPANDING PROTECTIONS IN THOSE AREAS. THAT'S INFORMATION THAT WE SHOULD BE SHARING WITH PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS IN ORDER TO ADVANCE THE AGENDA. I WOULD START WITH A LOT MORE ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION THAT I'M SURE IS HAPPENING, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE AT FAIR HOUSING, WE HAVEN'T FULLY ENGAGED IN. I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK 30 INTO. >> GREAT THANKS. >> I WILL JUST FOLLOW UP ON THAT. I WOULD SECOND THAT AND SAY MORE COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT IS GREAT. AND I WOULD SAY SPECIFICALLY, THERE IS ALWAYS A NEED TO DO MORE, TO TRAIN AND IMPLEMENT THE WORK BEING DONE IN D.C., ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. SO MANY ADVOCATES AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL EITHER DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOUTH PROGRAMS OR RESOURCES THEY HAVE ACCESS TO AND SO THEY NEED HELP, AND THIS IS MANAGER THAT FOLKS NOT JUST HERE IN D.C. BUT AROUND THE COUNTRY, AT HUD REGIONAL OFFICES, CAN HELP US WITH AND MAKING SURE THE ADVOCATES KNOW AND CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PROGRAMS. I WOULD ALSO NOTE THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE INTERESTED IN, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, IS EMPOWERING MORE LBGT ORGANIZATIONS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FEDERAL GRANTS. YOU KNOW, THE DOLLARS THAT ARE IN THE PHILANTHROPIC WORLD, IT'S NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT'S AVAILABLE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, SO YOU SHOULD -- THIS IS IS I THINK A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR PARTNERSHIP, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FOLKS KNOW HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FEDERAL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AND HAVE THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SORT OF WHEREWITHAL TO DO THAT, AND WE WILL LOOK TO YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ACTUALLY APPLY FOR THOSE AND THAT THEY ARE REVIEWED APPROPRIATELY. SO AGAIN, I THINK THERE'S A 31 LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT KIND OF ENGAGEMENT. >> I WILL JUMP IN TOO. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS I THINK REALLY POTENTIALLY EXCITING ABOUT THIS SUPREME COURT DECISION IS, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY, COUNTER TO WHAT YOU SEE IN WHAT I WILL CALL MAINSTREAM PHILANTHROPY, THE MAJORITY OF PHILANTHROPIC DOLLARS WHEN IT COMES TO LBGTQ EVENTS HAS BEEN CIVIL RIGHT, THE LARGE PORTION IS $10 MILLION ANNUALLY TO MARRIAGE SPECIFICALLY. HOPEFULLY COME JUNE WE WILL HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF MONEY THAT FREES UP AND HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THAT, WHICH IS A GREAT PROBLEM TO HAVE. I THINK WHAT'S AN EXCITING POTENTIAL, WHERE PHILANTHROPY CAN PARTNER, IN PHILANTHROPY WE HAVE FLEXIBLE CAPITAL AND OFTEN WE'RE NOT AS BUREAUCRATIC AS SOME OF THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. >> WE ARE NOT BUREAUCRATIC, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! >> BUT WE CAN GO OUT AND TRY SOME OF THE THINGS. >> I WAS KIDDING! >> WE CAN GO OUT AND TRY THINGS THAT YOU GUYS MIGHT BE EAGER TO TRY OR BE A TESTING GROUND FOR YOU REALLY AS WELL. AND I DO THINK THAT MORE COMMUNICATION BACK AND FORTH IS GOING TO BE KEY. AND ON THE HUD END, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS CAN REALLY HELP AMPLIFY SOME OF THESE MESSAGES. YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT MOST PEOPLE STILL BELIEVE IN THIS MYTH THAT GAY PEOPLE ARE 32 DISPROPORTIONATELY RICH, WHEN THEY WOE THEY ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY POOR, AND I KNOW A LOT OF THE FOCUS AND RIGHTFULLY SO IS GOING TO BE ON LBGT HOMELESS YOUTH BUT IT'S NOT JUST LBGT YOUTH WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT. WITH DID ACE PROPORTIONATELY POOR POPULATION WE HAVE PEOPLE ACROSS THE PECK RUM IN NEED OF HOUSING, FACING HOMELESSNESS. THERE'S A COUPLE OF GREAT REPORTS BY SAGE THAT TALKS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF LBGT SENIOR THAT IS ARE HAVING TO GO BACK INTO THE CLOSET AFTER HAVING COME OUT IN ORDER TO GET THE SERVICES AND CARE AND HOUSING THAT THEY NEED. SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY JUST TO WORK TOGETHER. >> SO I WILL ACTUALLY GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW, WHAT GUSTAVO WAS TALKING ABOUT, COMMUNICATION CAN INSPIRE ACTION. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS PROBABLY 2 1/2 YEARS AGO THAT I FIRST MET ANN AND HER TEAL AND EVERYBODY HERE AT HUD WHEN WE CAME DOWN FOR OUR VERY FIRST MEETING, AND THROUGH A YEAR'S WORTH OF CONVERSATIONS AND ENGAGEMENTS THROUGH AN INITIAL PROJECT TOGETHER, THE YOUTH EVIDENT THAT WAS DONE IN NINE COMMUNITIES TO IMPROVE HOW HUD IS COUNTING IN COMMUNITIES OR CAPTURING YOUTH ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THROUGH THE CONVERSATIONS AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH THAT EFFORT, WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE REALLY FRANK AND OPEN AND HONEST CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHERE WE WERE ON COMMON 33 GROUND, WHERE WERE THE SAME QUESTIONS THAT WE WANTED TO HAVE ANSWERED AND WHERE WERE THERE GAPS IN YOUTH HOMELESSNESS AND NOT EVEN SPECIFICALLY LBGT HOMELESSNESS BUT YOUTH HOMELESSNESS AND PREVENTION CAME STRAIGHT TO THE TOP AS AN AREA THAT HAS NOT BEEN PAID ATTENTION TO AND WITH REGARD TO YOUTH HOMELESSNESS, WE REALLY HAVE BUILT A CRISIS RESPONSE SYSTEM IN THIS COUNTRY, A KID IS HOMELESS, YOU RESPOND IMMEDIATELY TO THAT. WE'VE REALLY NOT INVESTED IN KEEPING THE KIDS IN THEIR HOMES IN THE FIRST PLACE OR GETTING THEM BACK INTO THEIR HOMES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, AS BEST WE CAN. WE ARE HAVING SOME SUCCESS IN THAT AREA BUT WE CAN DO A MUCH BETTER JOB. AND SO BY JUST MEETING EACH OTHER WHERE WE WERE AT AND FINDING COMMON GROUND, WE VERY QUICKLY -- I HAVE TO CREDIT ANN FOR HER EXTRAORDINARY LEADERSHIP ON THIS, AND ANN REALLY IS AN INNOVATOR, WE -- WE ARGUE ABOUT THIS BUT THE INITIATIVE WAS REALLY HER IDEA. SHE GIVES ME MORE CREDIT THAN I DESERVE. BUT IT WAS REALLY ANNA LIVA'S IDEA. BY FINDING THAT ISSUE AND BY SITTING DOWN AND THEN HAVING MORE IN DEPTH CONVERSATIONS, IT GREW OUT OF JUST NOT BEING A HUD TRUE COLORS FUND PARTNERSHIP, IT GREW INTO A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP, HHS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, DEPARTMENT OF ED, UHCH WERE BROUGHT INTO THE PROCESS, BECAUSE WE HAD 34 CONVERSATION, WE HAD FRANK, OPEN, HONEST, REAL CONVERSATIONS, WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO SET EXPECTATIONS THAT WE COULD ALL MEET, AND REALLY FIND THAT COMMON GROUND, AND NOW THAT INITIATIVE IS OFF THE GROUND, IT KICKED OFF OFFICIALLY IN OCTOBER, BUT WAS ANNOUNCED IN FEBRUARY AFTER BOTH CINCINNATI AND HOUSTON SPENT SIX MONTHS LAST YEAR DOING AN INTENSIVE PLANNING PROCESS, AND NOW THROUGH THE SUCCESS WE ARE HAVING AND STARTING TO SEE THINGS THAT ARE COMING ABOUT THROUGH THAT EFFORT, WE ARE NOW ENGAGED WITH THE SNAPS PROGRAM, TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S NEXT, AND REALLY LOOKING AT A NEW INITIATIVE THAT LOOKS AT HOW DO WE IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR LBGT YOUTH COMING OUT OF THE HOMELESS YOUTH SYSTEM, HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THEY ARE MEETING THE FOUR CORE OUTCOMES AND THE GOALS OF THE FOUR OUTCOMES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ARE MET, WHICH ARE STABLE HOUSING, EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, WELL BEING AND PERMANENT CONNECTIONS, WHICH FOR LBGT YOUTH, PERMANENT CONNECTIONS ARE SUCH AN IMPORTANT AREA OF FOCUS AND A BARRIER BECAUSE OF THE REJECTION THAT THESE KIDS ARE FACING, IN CREATING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH ADULTS IN THEIR LIVES. SO THE OTHER THING I WILL JUST SAY ABOUT THIS IS THAT THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION THAT WE KIND OF GET AT THE TRUE COLORS FUND IS WHY YOU ARE ONLY FOCUSED ON LBGT YOUTH. OBVIOUSLY, THE 40 PERCENT NUMBER IS PRETTY GLARING, SO THAT'S ONE ISSUE THAT YOU CAN 35 KIND OF PUT OUT THERE. BUT I WILL ACTUALLY SAY THAT IF WE FOCUS ON OUR MOST MARGINALIZED POPULATION OF YOUTH AND THE HOMELESS YOUTH COMMUNITY, WHETHER LBGT, YOUTH OF COLOR, HIGHLY UNDERREPRESENTED, IF WE CAN WORK WITH THE MOST MARGINALIZED POPULATION, THAT'S GOING TO HELP ALL HOMELESS YOUTH. SO THIS PREVENTION INITIATIVE, WHILE LBGT-SPECIFIC, THE LESSONS WE LEARN WILL IMPACT ALL YOUTH ISSUES AND DRIVE THE FOCUS DON THE ROAD AND MAKE PREVENTION MORE OF A PRIORITY WHICH IN THE LAST I WOULD SAY LAST YEAR ALONE THE CONVERSATION AROUND PREVENTION IS SO MUCH MORE THAN IT EVER WAS BEFORE THIS INITIATIVE WAS EVER ANNOUNCED. IT REALLY HAS DRIVEN THAT CONVERSATION FORWARD. >> ABSOLUTELY, THANK YOU. MICHAEL? >> THREE COMMENTS IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS. ONE, AND THIS IS SORT OF UNIQUE TO THE ORGANIZATION I RUN, SO I HAVE FOUR STAFF WHO ARE PURELY FEDERAL POLICY, WHO WORK ON CAPITOL HILL PRIMARILY. AND WHILE CLEARLY NONE OF YOU GET TO LOBBY AND CLEARLY PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS DON'T GET TO, PUBLIC FOUNDATIONS, NONPROFITS DO, AND SO WHERE WE CAN HAVE A PARTNERSHIP, NOT NECESSARILY IN SETTING THE ADVOCACY AGENDA, BUT UNDERSTANDING THE BARRIERS THAT YOU ARE FACING LEGISLATIVELY, EITHER FEDERAL OR STATE, TO ACHIEVING YOUR 36 SUCCESS, THAT'S WHERE WE CAN COME IN AND ACTUALLY PUSH THINGS. SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF SPACE FOR PARTNERSHIP. EVERY YEAR WE BRING IN ABOUT 300 ADVOCATE, PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV, ON CAPITOL HILL, SHARING THEIR POLICY AGENDA, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY AS HUD LOOKS TO ADDRESS SOME DIFFERENT LEGISLATIVE BARRIERS, MODERNIZE OTHER ASPECTS, STATE BARRIERS, THAT'S A GREAT PARTNERSHIP. THE SECOND THING I WOULD SAY IS I THINK WE ARE ALL -- WELL, NOT ALL. I'M FEELING AND MANY ARE THE CHALLENGES OF SEQUESTRATION AND THE REDUCTION IN FEDERAL RESOURCES, RIGHT? I GUESS THE THING I WOULD SAY IN TERMS OF EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS ON THAT, AND ANN SAID THIS EARLIER, WHICH IS THERE'S NO WAY THAT PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY IS EVER, EVER GOING TO FILL THE GAP. JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE HOSLA BUDGET ALONE IS ABOUT EQUIVALENT TO WHAT ALL OF FINISH AN THERAPY FOR HIV AIDS IS AND THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE COUPLE BILLION IN RYAN WHITE, 700 MILLION IN CDC PREVENTION. SO IT'S ABOUT ONE FOUNDATION DOLLAR FOR 20 GOVERNMENT DOLLARS JUST IN THE HIV AIDS BILL. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD ASK FOR EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIP IS DON'T ASK US TO FILL THE GAPS. WE CAN'T DO IT, AND FRANKLY, I THINK THERE ARE MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE THINGS WE CAN DO, WHETHER THOSE ARE POLICY 37 LIMITATIONS, WHETHER THOSE ARE FUNDING THE THINGS YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO, BUT WE KNOW NEED TO HAPPEN, THAT IN THE END THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WON'T BE ALLOWED TO BUT YOUR PROGRAMS WILL BE MORE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE WE ARE FUNDING IT, OR WHETHER IT'S THE FLEXIBILITY, AS LYLE MENTIONED, IN TERMS OF DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE NEW MODELS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF OUR -- I MENTIONED THE SOCIAL INNOVATION FUND WHERE WE PARTNER WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DEVELOP AND EVALUATE NEW INNOVATIVE APPROACHES, ONE IS THE HOUSING PROGRAM IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH NEW MODELS OF HAVING CASEWORKERS ADMINISTRATOR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS FOR PEOPLE, AND AN APPROACH FOR STABILITY, BECAUSE SUBSTANCE ABUSE -- MAKING SURE THEY CAN BE STABILIZED IN HOUSING. SO THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT I THINK PRIVATE SECTOR OR PRIVATE FUNDING CAN DO, AND I OFTEN GET WORRIED, BECAUSE I SEE SOME OF THE PROJECT FUNDERS FEEL LIKE THEY SEE CERTAIN AREAS OF GOVERNMENT GOING BACK, AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO FILL THOSE HOMES AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU LOSE THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT PHILANTHROPY COULD DO. THE LAST THING I WOULD SAY ON PARTNERSHIP, ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES WITH SPECIAL POPULATION, PERIOD -- POPULATIONS, PERIOD, IS DATA. AND SO WE ARE -- IT HAS BEEN 2 1/2 YEARS SINCE I HAVE ADMINISTERED A HUD-FUNDED 38 PROGRAM. SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT DATA IS REQUIRED JUST NOW. I DID IN OREGON. I HAD SEVERAL HUD PROGRAMS. BUT WHAT I KNOW IS THAT WHAT I NEED IS THE DATA POOL YOU ARE SERVING, WHETHER -- NOT JUST SEXUAL ORIENTATION, BUT ALSO GENDER ORIENTATION AND NOT JUST IN HIV PROGRAMS AND NOT JUST HOMELESS YOUTH PROGRAMS, BUT ACROSS THE BROAD ARRAY OF PROGRAMS THAT FALL INTO THE BILLIONS AND BILLIONS SUPPORTED BY HUD SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THE CASE FOR WHERE DISPARITIES EXIST AND WHERE WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. SO I THINK GOVERNMENT HAS AN INCREDIBLE ABILITY TO COLLECT DATA BECAUSE THEY DO IT ALL THE TIME, AND I THINK SOMETIMES WE'RE NOT COLLECTING ALL THE DATA WE NEED, AND SO WORKING WITH PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY, I THINK ABOUT WHAT IS THE DATA THAT CAN HELP MOVE A POLICY AGENDA IS ALSO A KEY PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND PHILANTHROPY. >> ON THAT POINT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS I'M THINKING ABOUT ALL OF THE ITEMS THAT YOU LISTED, THE PANEL TOGETHER LISTED, SOMEBODY TALKED ABOUT TRAINING. I DON'T REMEMBER WHICH ONE OF YOU IT WAS, THAT TALKED ABOUT TRAINING AND IMPLEMENTATION. AS WE THINK ABOUT DATA AND CHANGING OUR DATA REQUIREMENTS, I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TRAINING OUR GRANTEES, AND FOR OUR STAKEHOLDERS AS A COMMUNITY WHO ARE ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS, HOW TO ASK 39 THOSE QUESTIONS, AND I THINK, FURTHER, TRAINING AND CULTURAL COMPETENCE ACROSS THE BOARD IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL IN TERMS OF THIS PARTNERSHIP. GREGORY? >> SO THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WORK WITH THE SNAPS PROGRAM VERY CLOSELY ON IN PROVIDING GUIDANCE TO COMMUNITIES, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH YOUTH POINTS, POINT IN TIME COUNTS, WHETHER IT'S IN OTHER ASPECTS OF DATA COLLECTION. YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNMENT IS KIND OF CONSTRAINED IN HOW IT CAN COMMUNICATE GUIDANCE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IS KIND OF BREAK IT DOWN INTO THE LANGUAGE THAT PROVIDERS OR AGENCIES AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL CAN REALLY CONNECT TO, PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW, ALL STAFF WITHIN THOSE AGENCIES. SO ONE OF THE EXAMPLES IS LAST YEAR, WE PUT TOGETHER ACTUALLY ONE OF MY TEAM MEMBERS, CHRISTA PRICE IN THE AUDIENCE, PUT TOGETHER AN AMAZING TOOL KIT FOR THE YOUTH COUNTS, THAT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED THE ISSUES OF ASKING QUESTIONS AROUND SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY, AS WELL AS OTHER TOOLS AND TIPS ON HOW TO DO AN EFFECTIVE YOUTH COUNT, AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT AND THEN HUD AND USICH WERE ABLE TO ISSUE THAT TOOLBOX OUT TO THE COMMUNITIES, IN ADDITION TO THE GUIDANCE THAT THEY WERE ALREADY ISSUING. SO THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN WORK BEYOND, AND IN THAT CAPACITY AS WELL. 40 SO I WOULD SAY ALSO, AROUND THE YOUTH COUNT, ONE OF THE KEY PARTS OF OUR PARTNERSHIP, AND REALLY THE FLEXIBILITY BY THIS BEING A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, IS THAT HUD AND ALL THE OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES ARE REALLY CONSTRAINED IN THE KIND OF T.A. THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE TO A COMMUNITY. THEIR T.A. PROVIDERS, YOUR T.A. PROVIDERS, CAN REALLY ONLY WORK WITH YOUR GRANTEE, WHEREAS WE ARE NOT CONSTRAINED BY THAT. PARTICULARLY WITH THE INITIATIVE, WHICH IS ABOUT BUILDING BROAD-BASED COMMUNITY COALITIONS THAT EXIST WITHIN BRINGING CHILD WELFARE AND JUVENILE JUSTICE, OBVIOUSLY RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH PROGRAMS, BUT ALSO SCHOOLS AND SO FORTH, WE ARE NOT CONSTRAINED. OUR T.A. PROVIDERS WERE ABLE TO GO AND WORK WITH ALL ENTITIES AND ENGAGE WITH THEM. SO THAT WAS A WAY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE BUREAUCRACY THAT LIMITS HUD'S ABILITY TO DO SOME OF THIS STUFF. >> LET'S SWITCH A LITTLE BIT UP AND TALK ABOUT HOW HUD CAN WORK WITH THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE HOUSING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE LBGTQ COMMUNITY. IT'S SOMETHING OBVIOUSLY AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM THE LEADERS HERE AT HUD THAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, THAT WE ARE WORKING ON ACTIVELY, BUT I THINK WE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN HEARING FROM ALL OF YOU ABOUT HOW WE CAN FURTHER THAT 41 WORK. AND I WILL START WITH GUSTAVO, IF YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT. >> SURE. WE'VE TALKED EXTENSIVELY ABOUT THE EFFECT, THE POTENTIAL OF EFFECTIVE -- EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENTING THE EQUAL ACCESS RULE, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN AT THE DEPARTMENT FOR LESS THAN A YEAR, SO I SEE THE POTENTIAL, BUT THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT AREAS THAT HUD HAS TO TAKE CARE OF FIRST. I THINK DATA WAS MENTIONED, TRAINING WAS MENTIONED, THE RIGHT TYPES OF SYSTEMS SO THAT EVERY PERSON THAT HAS AN ISSUE THAT PERTAINS TO THE APPLICATION OF THE EQUAL ACCESS RULE, WHENEVER SOMEBODY ENTERS HUD, EVERY MEMBER WITHIN THE HUD TEAM NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO AN INQUIRY OR TO SOME KIND OF A RESPONSE. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO I THINK HERE WITHIN HUD IN AREAS SUCH AS CAPACITY BUILDING, TRAINING, THE RIGHT PROTOCOLS, THE RIGHT SYSTEMS TO EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENT EQUAL ACCESS. I THINK THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THAT. THIS IS ONE OF THE PREMIERE, MOST IMPORTANT TOOLS AT OUR DISPOSAL TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE IN THE LBGTQ COMMUNITY ARE -- THAT WE ARE RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THAT COMMUNITY ON THE GROUND. AND SO MY OFFICE I THINK HAS BEEN PUTTING TOGETHER RECOMMENDATIONS AND WORKING WITH PUBLIC HOUSING AND OTHER OFFICES SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE GAPS THAT STILL 42 CONTINUE HERE. >> GREAT, THANK YOU. ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON HOUSING DISCRIMINATION? I MEAN, I WILL JUST LET YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THIS IS -- A, IT'S SOMETHING THAT PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY IS INTERESTED IN, JUST FROM THE CONVERSATIONS I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN, WHICH IS GREAT. I THINK THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A LOT OF STATES RIGHT NOW WHERE THERE AREN'T THOSE PROTECTIONS. I WILL ALSO ADD FROM A PERSONAL DYNAMIC, EVEN IN THE STATES WHERE WE DO HAVE PROTECTIONS, THERE IS WORK TO BE DONE. YOU KNOW, I PERSONALLY WAS JUST REJECTED FOR AN APARTMENT AFTER SHE SAW I WAS APPROVED FORESTING, THE FINANCES WHICH COULD OUT AND THEY SAW FUNDERS FOR LBGTQ ISSUES ON MY PAYCHECK. IT'S PRETTY CLEAR WHAT YOU DO IF YOUR PAYCHECK SAYS FUNDERS FOR LBGTQ ISSUES, AND YOU KNOW, WE WANT BACK AND WE OFFERED MORE MONEY, AND NOTHING WAS GOING TO CHANGE THEM. IT BECAME VERY CLEAR WHAT WAS AT STAKE HERE AND WHAT THE ISSUE WAS. IT WAS AN APARTMENT IN NEW YORK CITY, OWNED BY A FAMILY THAT WAS VERY CHRISTIAN AND CONSERVATIVE AND THEY JUST DIDN'T WANT CERTAIN PEOPLE IN THEIR BUILDING. SO I THINK YOU HAVE EVEN IN WHAT WE WOULD CALL THE BUBBLES LIKE NEW YORK CITY, SAN FRANCISCO, LOS ANGELES, YOU KNOW, IN PLACES WE WOULD CONSIDER PROGRESSIVE, THERE 43 IS STILL WORK TO BE DONE. I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING TO KEEP IN MIND. >> DID YOU FILE A COMPLAINT? >> I ACTUALLY DIDN'T. >> THEY NEED SOMEONE TO TEACH ME HOW TO. >> IT FEELS LIKE MAYBE YOU GUYS SHOULD TALK AFTER. >> WE HAVE AN EASY WAY TO FILE. >> ACTUALLY, YOU BRING ALL GREAT POINT. I THINK THAT'S A PART OF PARTNERSHIP, WHICH IS WHERE THERE ARE PROTECTIONS, UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE PROTECTED OFTEN DON'T KNOW IT, AND RATHER THAN KIND OF A COMPLEX REGULATION, THE LEGISLATION AND THE RULES, WHAT IS THE SIMPLE, UNDERSTANDABLE INFORMATION THAT YOU ARE PUTTING OUT TO THOSE THAT HAVE PROTECTION OR AT LEAST HOPES OF PROTECTION FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE EASY WAY IN TERMS OF WHERE THEIR RIGHTS ARE VIOLATED AN AN EASY MEANS FOR ACTUALLY FILING A COMPLAINT. >> AND I HEAR YOU SAYING, YOU HAVE -- BUT PART OF WHAT I THINK GETS THOSE THINGS TO PEOPLE IS PARTNERING WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS, WHETHER IT'S THE LBGTQ COMMUNITY SECTOR, THE HIV SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS, AND KNOWING THAT MORE OFTEN, YOU ARE GOING TO REACH THOSE PROTECTED, WORKING WITH THOSE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, THAN YOU ARE THROUGH HUD. >> AND LET ME NOTE ALSO THAT LAWS AND POLICES AND REGULATIONS ARE GREAT BUT USUALLY, IT'S REAL STORIES OF PEOPLE, AND SO I THINK YOU SHOULD COUNT ON ALL OF US TO 44 HELP YOU GET THOSE STORIES, AND THESE ARE NOT JUST THE HEARTBREAKING ONES, BUT ALSO THE SUCCESS STORIES, STORIES WHERE I FILE A COMPLAINT, HE GETS THE ADDRESS AND THE APARTMENT, RIGHT? >> I HAVE A NICE APARTMENT NOW SO I'M GOOD! >> BUT I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, AND EVERYWHERE WE'VE SEEN CHANGE THE A THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL, IN MANY CASES IT'S BEEN INFORMED BY SOMEBODY'S STORIES. SO THAT'S ONE THING I WOULD OFFER. THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY, DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EXAMPLE THAT YOU SET AT A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL FOR STATES AROUND THE COUNTRY AND FOR CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY. YOU KNOW, A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT, WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, SHORTLY AFTER THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION CHANGED THEIR POLICES FOR TRANS PEOPLE TO CHANGE THE GENDER MARKER ON THEIR DOCUMENTATION, WE'VE SEEN STATES FOLLOW SUIT AND SAY HEY, IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN DO THIS, WE CAN DO THIS TOO. SO I WOULD SAY GENERALLY SPEAKING THAT THE MORE YOU DO, THE MORE IS POSSIBLE AT A STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL. WE'RE HERE TO PURSUE THAT AND WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOUR TEAM TO DO THAT. >> GREAT. SO WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST VALUABLE ROLES OF PHILANTHROPY IN THIS WORK, WHERE IS THIS THAT WE SHOULD -- I'VE BEEN JOTTING DOWN 45 SOME OF THE THOUGHTS THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN TALKING THROUGH. THERE'S A LOT OF THEMES AROUND COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT, TRAINING, HOW TO LEVERAGE THE RESOURCES THAT YOU ALL BRING TO THE TABLE IN MEANINGFUL WAYS. SO WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE ROLES OF PHILANTHROPY? >> LET ME JUST START WITH ONE THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO OUR HEARTS, WHICH IS CONVENING, SO BRINGING TOGETHER LIKE-MINDED DONORS AND PHILANTHROPISTS AND I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T THANK SECRETARY CASTRO FOR SPEAKING AT A CONFERENCE THE GILL FOUNDATION HELD IN TEXAS. EVERY TWO YEARS WE BRING TOGETHER SOME OF THE TOP LBGT PHILANTHROPISTS ABOUT WHAT ARE PRIORITY, WHAT IS THE FUTURE LOOKING LIKE AND I THINK THE SECRETARY, AS A NATIVE TEXAS, IT WAS A CALL FOR ACTION FOR PEOPLE TO STAY ENGAGED. WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT -- FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE MOVEMENT AND OUR COMMUNITY WE NEED TO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE AT THE TABLE, NOT JUST INSTITUTIONAL FUNDERS AND INDIVIDUAL DONORS BUT ALSO FOLKS, BOTH INDIVIDUALS AND FOUNDATIONS THAT DON'T EXPLICITLY FUND LBGT WORK BUT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN PARTNERING WITH US. >> GREAT. >> ANYTHING TO ADD ON THAT? >> I WAS GOING TO THROW OUT THE IDEA OF MORE RESEARCH. I THINK THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF LIMITATIONS IN REALLY UNDERSTANDING FROM A RESEARCH 46 PERSPECTIVE WHAT ARE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT BARRIERS THAT PEOPLE ACROSS COMMUNITIES IN THIS COUNTRY ARE FACING, PEOPLE IN THE LBGT COMMUNITY ARE FACING IN ACCESSING THE DECENT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING. NOW, WE HAVE DATA, I THINK, THAT WE DO A GOOD JOB IN COLLECTING THAT DATA AND ANALYZING IT, AND IN COMMISSIONING THE STUDIES, BUT BECAUSE THE QUESTION IS SPECIFICALLY ON DEVELOPING PHILANTHROPY I QUESTION WHETHER THAT CAN BE A ROLE AND THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BE A ROLE OF EXPANDING HUD WHEN IT COMES TO RESEARCH. >> I WOULD ECHO THE RESEARCH, AND WE'VE FOUND ACTUALLY HAVING IN THE PAST FUNDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO COLLECT DATA NOT EASY, IT'S OMB AND PAPERWORK REDUCTION, AS OPPOSED TO WHERE PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY AND OUR PARTNERS, REALLY DEVELOP OUR OWN AGENDA, CAN COLLECT DATA AND NOT GO THROUGH AS MUCH. SO ABSOLUTELY ONE AREA. THEN THE OTHER THAT I WOULD JUST -- IT'S A REITERATION, BUT I WILL SAY IT AGAIN, IT'S POLICY ADVOCACY PARTNERSHIP. I THINK WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE INNOVATION MODELS THAT GOVERNMENT JUST CAN'T OFTEN GET TO IN TERMS OF FUNDING STREAMS. AND THEN THIS IS A LITTLE LESS ABOUT WHAT'S THE UNIQUE ROLE OF PHILANTHROPY BUT I WANT TO PITCH THIS, FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS SOMETIMES TO SEE YOU ALL STEPPING A LITTLE BIT INTO NEW APPROACHES, ONE OF THE MOST -- I RAN A LOCAL AIDS ORGANIZATION FOR FOUR YEARS 47 IN OREGON, AND ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE THINGS WE DID WITH HUD WASN'T HOUSING. IT WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET A GRANT THAT ALLOWED TO US DO AN EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM THAT ACTUALLY FREED UP A LOT OF OUR HOUSING SLOTS THAT WERE PAID FOR BY HUD, AND THE PROGRAM WAS PAID FOR BY HUD SO WE COULD HOUSE EVEN MORE, SO EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT SAY AT THE CORE WE DO HOUSING, THINK ABOUT WHAT ARE THOSE PROGRAMS YOU CAN TAKE IN THERE, THAT AGENCIES CAN DO THAT, FIT UNDER YOUR MANDATE THAT WILL TAKE SOME OF THE NEED OFF OF THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF WHAT YOU DO AND REALLY ALLOW THE RESOURCES TO BE BETTER USED. >> SO IF YOU DIDN'T RAISE IT, I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO ASK ABOUT THE ADVOCACY AGENDA, AND I WILL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE AND MAYBE ASK GREGORY TO EXPAND ON THIS A LITTLE BIT. SO SELFISHLY, I WORRY ABOUT TWO BIG THINGS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON WITH THE TEAM OUT THERE IS REWORKING THE FORMULA FOR THE -- RIGHT NOW IT'S ON CUMULATIVE AIDS CASES AND WE WANT IT TO BE ON HIV, I ALSO WORRY ABOUT THINGS HAVING TO DO AROUND HOMELESSNESS, AND EARLIER TODAY, FOR EXAMPLE, I WAS ABLE TO TAKE MANAGE ON THE HILL WHERE I WASN'T THE ONE THAT WAS INITIATING IT, BUT IT WAS BEING INITIATED BY THE TRUE COLORS FUND AROUND SOME IDEAS ON HOW WE CAN WORK WITH HOMELESS YOUTH IN DIFFERENT WAYS, AND THINGS THAT CONGRESS COULD DO TO HELP US. 48 AND I FOUND IT TO BE INCREDIBLY HELPFUL. YOU CAN ALL TALK ABOUT HOW YOUR ADVOCACY WORKS IN THAT WAY? >> YEAH, AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY -- THANK YOU. THAT WAS ACTUALLY A POINT I WANTED TO MAKE, THAT PHILANTHROPY IS A MUCH BROADER WORD. I THINK IT TENDS TO ALWAYS GET REGULATED TO MONEY. AND PHILANTHROPY EXISTS SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST MONEY. MONEY IS A POWERFUL THING. LET'S NOT -- LET'S BE REAL ABOUT THAT. AND CAN DRIVE GREAT CHANGE. >> BUT CYNDI LAUPER IS SUPER POWERFUL! >> AWE THERE A LOT OF OUR ADVOCACY WORK. AND IT'S ABOUT -- PHILANTHROPY IS ABOUT DRIVING INNOVATION, AND THAT TO ME IS WHERE PHILANTHROPY'S UNIQUE ROLE IS IN THIS EFFORT, WHETHER IT'S AROUND YOUTH HOMELESSNESS OR ANY OTHER ISSUE IS REALLY PUSHING THE NEEDLE FORWARD AND NOT IN AN AGGRESSIVE WAY BUT A COLLABORATIVE WAY, IN A HOLISTIC, REALLY SUPPORTIVE WAY. AND FINDING THOSE SOLUTIONS THAT CAN ACTUALLY WORK TO DRIVE THAT INNOVATION FORWARD. YOU KNOW, THE PREVENTION INITIATIVE BEING ONE AND SOME OTHER EXAMPLES. BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT THAT, AND PARTICULARLY IN THE HOMELESS YOUTH SPACE, THERE IS -- PHILANTHROPY AT A GRANDER SCALE IS DRIVING A LOT OF THAT CHANGE. AND PARTICULARLY, THERE'S A 49 LOT, A LOT, A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE AROUND YOUTH HOMELESSNESS, AND WE NEED THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN ORDER FOR US TO CREATE A REALLY FULLY COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM IN THIS COUNTRY THAT ACTUALLY IS GOING TO END THE PROBLEM, NOT JUST KEEP THE STATUS QUO GOING, AND WHERE PHILANTHROPY CAN PLAY THAT ROLE, WITH MONEY, IT'S FUNDING AND HELPING GET THOSE ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS, WHETHER IT'S THINGS LIKE THERE WILL BE A HUGE STUDY THAT WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH THAT WILL BE FOREVER, IT'S A PRIVATE STUDY THAT IS GOING TO FOR THE FIRST TIME DO A PREVIOUS VENT STUDY OF YOUTH HOMELESSNESS FOR THE FIRES TIME CAN ACTUALLY COUNT HOW MANY HOMELESS YOUTH THERE ARE. THE NUMBERS OF 1.6 MILLION IS BASED OFF OF A NUMBER FROM 1999. AND IT'S BASED OFF OF A HOUSEHOLD SURVEY. SO WE REALLY NEED TO GET THAT INFORMATION. SO IT ALL IS ABOUT DRIVING THAT INNOVATION. THAT'S ALL BEING FUNDED BY PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY. SO THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THAT IS JUST INNOVATION. INNOVATION, INNOVATION, INNOVATION, DRIVING IT FORWARD. >> OKAY. >> GO AHEAD. >> I WANTED TO COMMENT ON PARTICULARLY THE MODERNIZATION. I THINK ONE OF THE OPPORTUNITY THAT IS IS OFTEN 50 MISSED IN THE ADMINISTRATION'S LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES IS DEVELOPMENT OF A LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY WITHOUT CONSULTATION OF COMMUNITIES, AND I CAN THINK OF A COUPLE OF TYPES. THIS HAPPENED WHERE THEY WANTED TO COMBINE TWO PARTS AND THE CHALLENGE WAS COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND GAY LEGISLATORS. I THINK MODERNIZATION IS ANOTHER, WHERE THE PROPOSAL WITHIN THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET WAS OVER A THREE YEAR TERM, WITH CAPS IN THE SYSTEM, AND WHAT WE REALIZED IS WE BROUGHT A LOT OF MEMBERSHIP TOGETHER, WHICH INCLUDES PEOPLE IN NEW YORK AND L.A. AND STUFF AND WE KNOW NEW YORK WOULD LOSE ABOUT 5 MILLION IN THAT, AND OTHER PLACES LIKE ALABAMA, TENNESSEE WILL GET ADDITIONAL FUNDS, AND OREGON. FOR US TO FIND ALL COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND WHAT DO WE HAVE TO GET, WE HAD TO DO A CONSULTATION. WHAT WE FOUND, ACROSS ALL MEMBERS, IF WE BROUGHT IT TO FIVE YEARS, HOLD HARMLESS, IT DIDN'T WIPE OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN CERTAIN PLACES, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH EASIER TO GET ALL -- I GOT LITERALLY FROM CITIES LOSING MONEY AND CITIES GAINING, A 100 PERCENT ON WHERE THE POLICY SHOULD BE. SO WHERE THIS GOVERNMENT OR ADMINISTRATION CAN WORK THROUGH PRIVATE SECTOR PHILANTHROPY AND FINDING WHAT IS THE LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL THAT WILL BE SUPPORTED AND FULLY EMBRACED AND MOVE FORWARD AS WELL, EVEN IF IT'S 51 A COMPROMISE. IT'S A CRITICAL PLACE THAT PHILANTHROPY CAN HELP WITH. >> MAKES SENSE. >> I WAS GOING TO SAY, TOO, AGAIN, COUNTER TO WHAT WE EXPERIENCE IN MOST PHILANTHROPY, ACTUALLY THE MAJORITY OF LBGTQ PHILANTHROPY SUPPORTS ADVOCACY WORK BUT BEYOND SUPPORTING THAT ADVOCACY WORK, THE ABILITY OF FILL AN THERAPY TO KIND OF USE ITS PLATFORM, AND HUD TO USE ITS PLATFORM, TO GET CERTAIN MESSAGES OUT THERE IS REALLY IMPORTANT. AND I DON'T THINK IT'S JUST ADVOCACY TO THE GOVERNMENT, TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. I THINK IT'S ADVOCACY, YOU KNOW, THAT GOES MORE OUT IN THE PUBLIC FACING AS WELL. REALLY JUST PROVING THAT GAYS -- I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT AND HELP PUSH FORWARD. SO I WANT TO MAKE THAT POINT. I'M ALWAYS SURPRISED AT THE NUMBER OF REQUESTS I GET FROM THE RECENT AS -- PROSECUTORS AS THE RESEARCH AND COMMUNICATIONS PERSON WHEN THE FOUNDATION DECIDES TO CHANGE ITS FUNDING STREAM. I DON'T THINK I EVEN PAID ATTENTION TO THAT KIND OF STUFF. BUT THEY DO. AND THE FUNDING STREAM AND USING THE -- RESPECTING THE PLATFORM THAT THE MONEY GIVES YOU TO GET CERTAIN MESSAGES OUT THERE I THINK COULD BE A REALLY IMPORTANT ROLE FOR BOTH OF US TO PLAY. >> SO YOU ALL HAVE BEEN HEARING MY QUESTIONS. 52 DO FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE PANEL? >> I CAN KEEP GOING. BUT -- >> [INAUDIBLE] >> >> [INAUDIBLE QUESTION] >> -- TO THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, DO YOU THINK IT COULD BE HIGHLY REGARDED AS A MY BROTHER'S KEEPER INITIATIVE? MANY MAYORS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WOULD BE EAGER TO END LBGT YOUTH HOMELESSNESS. >> GREG? >> A HUGE COMPONENT OF THIS INITIATIVE IS AN EVALUATION COMPONENT ONCE IT'S DONE. IT'S IN ABOUT MONTH SIX OF THE TWO-YEAR INITIATIVE. THROUGHOUT THAT PROCESS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO EVALUATION AND LEARN LESSONS THAT WE CAN MAYBE EVEN PUT PRACTICALLY INTO THE FIELD NOW. AT THE END OF THE TWO YEARS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE WHAT WE LEARN IN BOTH COMMUNITIES AND THEN BRING IT UP NATIONALLY AND BACK OUT TO COMMUNITIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. SO THAT'S THE GOAL. ONE OF THE SIGNIFICANT GOALS OF THE EFFORT. >> BUT WE'RE NOT WAITING FOR THE WHOLE TWO YEARS, RIGHT? >> RIGHT. YEAH, YEAH. SO FOR AN EXAMPLE, IN HOUSTON, ONE OF THE LESSONS THAT -- ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY DID, IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE POWERFUL, BUT THE STATE COORDINATOR FOR TRAINING SCHOOLS ADDED INFORMATION ABOUT LBGT YOUTH HOMELESSNESS TO THE TRAINING THAT ALL THE 53 TEACHERS GET, SO BY DOING THAT, THEY WERE ABLE TO -- AND ABOUT YOUTH HOMELESSNESS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF RECOGNIZING YOUTH WHO ARE AT RISK OR WHO ARE HOMELESS, BY DOING THAT THEY'VE ALREADY LEARNED THAT THAT WAS A PRACTICAL THING THAT THEY COULD DO AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS INITIATIVE THAT CAN HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONSEQUENCES, IN BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY YOUNG PEOPLE SOONER AND BEING ABLE TO ENGAGE THEM SOONER AND MAKING SURE THEY GET SUPPORT AND HELP. SO THOSE TYPES OF LESSONS ARE THINGS THAT WE ABSOLUTELY CAN BRING BACK OUT INTO THE FIELD NOW, AND THOSE ARE SMALLER THINGS, AND THEN THERE WILL BE BIGGER LESSONS THAT WILL BE LEARNED OVER THE TWO YEARS THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO BE BROUGHT OUT TO THE FIELD AS WELL. >> I WOULD ALSO JUST ADD IN TERMS OF THE PERSON WHO SAYS -- THE QUESTION WAS TALKING ABOUT THERE ARE MAYORS, COUNTY EXECUTIVES THAT ARE INTERESTED IN ENDING HOMELESSNESS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND WE NOW HAVE A WAY TO SORT OF ENCOURAGE THAT. WE'VE BEEN DOING IT ON VETERANS HOMELESSNESS. BUT WE COULD DO IT ON OTHER POPULATION, AND IT'S CALLED THE MAYOR'S CHALLENGE, AND WE HAVE, I DON'T KNOW, 500 SOMETHING MAYORS WHO HAVE SIGNED ON TO THAT, SO THAT'S ANOTHER WAY WE COULD USE THE INFORMATION IN THE FUTURE. >> YES. >> AND I WILL JUST SAY ALSO IN THE WORK OF THE TRUE 54 COLORS FUND, THE LESSONS THAT OUR TEAM LEARNED IN BOTH CINCINNATI AND HOUSTON HAVE INFORMED THE WORK THAT WE ARE NOW DOING IN NASHVILLE AND MIAMI, EVEN IN HOW WE ARE PLANNING WITH THOSE COMMUNITIES TO CREATE THEIR OWN PLANS AROUND BETTER ADDRESSING LBGT YOUTH HOMELESSNESS AND SOME COMMUNITIES THE OVERALL ISSUE OF YOUTH HOMELESSNESS. THERE ARE MANY LESSONS ALREADY BEING LEARNED AND ABLE TO BE BROUGHT BACK ON TO THE FIELD. >> THANKS. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM AUDIENCE MEMBERS? GREAT. GO AHEAD. >> HELLO? FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THIS HAS BEEN FASCINATING. I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT PIECE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AND ASK ABOUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE CONVERSATION HAS BEEN ABOUT HOW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN COMMUNICATE BETTER WITH PHILANTHROPY, BUT ALSO I WANT TO ASK THE PANEL IF THEY THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, AND GOING BACK TO THE TRUE COLORS FUND, YOU MENTIONED THAT MORE THAN JUST HUD BECAME INVOLVED AS THE INITIATIVE GOT MOVING. ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THIS ON A WIDER LEVEL WITH OTHER LBGTQ ISSUES, ACTUALLY BRING INTERAGENCY PARTNERSHIPS TOGETHER AND HOW COULD THAT BE LEVERAGED? >> WE'LL TAKE A SHOT. >> YOU STUMPED THE PANEL! >> YOU KNOW, I WILL JUST SAY 55 THAT PARTICULARLY WORKING WITH GOVERNMENT, WHEN YOU CAN SHOW THAT CERTAIN THINGS WORK, IT MAKES THE CASE OF TRYING TO MAKE OTHER THINGS WORK EASIER. SO EVEN IN JUST TAKING ON THE NEW INITIATIVE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT NOW AND IT'S IN THE PLANNING STAGES, THE TIME THAT WE WERE ABLE TO START TALKING ABOUT THAT PROJECT AND ENGAGE IN THAT PROJECT IS LIKE LIGHTNING SPEED IN COMPARISON TO THE TIME AND ENERGY IT TOOK TO GET THE PREVENTION INITIATIVE OFF THE GROUND BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO BUILD A TRACK RECORD AND SHOW IF YOU DO THIS IN A CERTAIN WAY -- AND I WOULD ALSO SAY THE YOUTH INITIATIVE, TWO, THREE YEARS AGO, ACTUALLY PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN EVEN MAKING THE PREVENTION INITIATIVE HAPPEN BECAUSE THAT WAS IN MY MIND -- CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG BUT THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME MULTIPLE AGENCIES HAD WORKED TOGETHER IN CONCERT AROUND YOUTH HOMELESSNESS AND IT SHOWED THAT IT WAS A SUCCESSFUL ENDEAVOR. SO THAT DIRECTLY INFORMED THE PREVENTION INITIATIVE. THAT'S OBVIOUSLY WHAT'S IN THE SCOPE OF YOUTH HOMELESSNESS BUT YOU CAN USE EXAMPLES TO INSPIRE CHANGE ON OTHER ISSUES IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WHETHER IT'S IN OTHER AREAS OF HUD DEALS WITH OR OTHER ISSUES THAT AFFECT THE LBGTQ COMMUNITY. >> I MENTIONED EARLIER THE SOCIAL INNOVATION FUND, WHICH IS HOUSED UNDER THE CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL 56 COMMUNITY SERVICE, WHICH IS A QUASI FEDERAL AGENCY, FEDERALLY FUNDED, AND IT STARTED ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, TO WORK IN PUBLIC-PRIVATE FUNDS TO IDENTIFY INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO CRITICAL ISSUES THAT ARE SCALABLE, AND I WILL TELL YOU, FOR ME, ONE OF THE BIGGEST LESSONS THAT THE -- LESSONS IS THE CHALLENGE OF INTERAGENCY WORK THERE, BECAUSE MY AGENCY WAS ABOUT INNOVATION ON ACCESS TO CARE AND HIV, SO HERE IS ONE LITTLE AGENCY UNDER THE WHITE HOUSE GUIDANCE THAT IS ASKING US TO DO THIS PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, IDENTIFY MODELS, EVALUATE THEM, AND THEY ARE SO PROUD OF WHAT THEY ARE DOING, BUT THEY'VE NOT FIGURED OUT -- AND THEY LEFT IT TO US TO WADE THROUGH -- HOW DO YOU GET THE BIGGER FEDERAL AGENCY WHO IS HAVE THE LION'S SHARE OF FUNDS TO WORK IN THE AREAS, CDC, SAMSA, TO PICK THESE UP, AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF CHALLENGE ABOUT FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS AND THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU CROSS OVER, AND SO YOUR QUESTION OF INTERAGENCIES, IT'S HARD TO THINK ABOUT FROM A PRIVATE OUTSIDE PART, BECAUSE I KNOW FOR ME, IT'S KNOCK ON EACH AGENCY AND THEN START THE CONVERSATION NEW AT A NEW AGENCY BECAUSE THEY DON'T CARRY THROUGH. >> SO THAT WASN'T A HOPEFUL ANSWER BUT A CHALLENGE. >> ANY LAST WORDS FROM OUR PANELISTS BEFORE WE START TO WRAP UP? >> I CAN TAKE ONE MORE QUESTION? >> SURE. >> OKAY. 57 >> HI. I WAS WONDERING IF ANY OF YOU HAD IDEAS ON WHERE THE L IS TODAY IN THE REPRESENTATION OF THE WOMEN IN THIS MOVEMENT, AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S A REFLECTION OF WHO IS WHERE AND HAS THE RESOURCES AND POWER OR IF THAT JUST HAPPENED TO WORK OUT THAT WAY TODAY. AND ALSO WHAT YOUR FOUNDATIONS ARE DOING IN GENERAL, ESPECIALLY WOMEN AGING IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY. >> THANK YOU, GREAT QUESTION. >> I WILL SAY I THINK THE L IS NOT SO MUCH IN HIV BUT IN THE MOVEMENT ACTUALLY QUITE STRONG IF YOU LOOK AT THE LEADERSHIP OF A LOT OF THE ORGANIZATIONS FROM THE NATIONAL LBGTQ TASK FORCE FROM GLISSEN TO GLAD, THE LARGEST LBGT COMMUNITY CENTER. IT'S STRONG THERE. IT UNFORTUNATELY IS NOT STRONG ON THIS PANEL. AND THEN IN TERMS OF HIV, IT'S JUST -- IT JUST HASN'T BEEN -- I MEAN, IN TERMS OF GENDER, IT WOULD BE TRANSWOMEN, BUT WHAT THEY -- >> [INAUDIBLE] >> AND I WOULD BE REMISS AND IN TROUBLE THAT L, L IS LESSON AND SHE IS BASED IN DENVER AND ON MATERNITY LEAVE, I WOULD CHANNEL HER HEARTS. ONE OF THE THINGS IS GROW THE NUMBER OF FOLKS IN THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY WHO ARE WOMEN, PEOPLE OF COLOR, WHO ARE TRAVES. THESE ARE PLACES WHERE WE NEED TO HAVE MORE VISIBILITY, MORE POWER. I MEAN, I THINK IT'S HUMAN 58 NATURE TO FUND THE STUFF THAT'S MOST CLOSE TO YOUR EXPERIENCE AND YOUR LIFE, AND SO I COMPLETELY -- I APOLOGIZE FOR ASKING THE QUESTION, AND I AGREE WE HAVE TO DO MORE. >> IF I CAN JUST ADD PERSPECTIVE, UNFORTUNATELY, PHILANTHROPY IS NOT KNOWN FOR BEING THE MOST DIVERSE CROWD. IF ANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN ON COUNCIL FOUNDATIONS OR GATHERINGS, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. I DO THINK THERE'S A NUMBER OF STRONG LESBIAN-RUN FOUNDATIONS THAT FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON THESE ISSUES. YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR PROBLEMS, AND THIS GOES BACK TO HAVING THE DATA PROBLEM, IS THAT A LOT OF THE GRANTS THAT WE LOOK AT ARE CODED LBGTQ, EVERYONE IS GROUPED TOGETHER, EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW THEY ARE NOT. SOMETIMES WE CAN DISSECT THEM AND PULL THEM APART BUT IT'S HARD TO ACTUALLY TRACK HOW MUCH FUNDING GOES TO EACH GROUP WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF TRANSJEND. THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE WORKING ON. >> I WOULD SAY THAT WITHIN THE ANOTHER HOMELESSNESS SPACE, THERE ARE TREMENDOUS LEADERS WHO WOULD IDENTIFY AS LESBIAN AND I CAN RATTLE OFF NAMES FROM HERE UNTIL TOMORROW, BECAUSE PEOPLE THAT I ADMIRE AND INSPIRE -- I JUST HAPPEN TO BE THE GUY UP HERE ON THE PANEL TODAY, BUT I CAN SAY THAT THROUGHOUT THE ISSUE OF YOUTH HOMELESSNESS, IT'S ACTUALLY A NUMBER OF REALLY AMAZING WOMEN WHO ARE DRIVING THIS ISSUE FORWARD. 59 I WOULD AGREE THAT WE ARE SEEING A VAST UNDERREPRESENTATION OF PEOPLE OF COLOR IS PROBABLY MORE OF AN ISSUE THAT I THINK -- ACROSS ALL BOARDS, WHETHER LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, PARTICULARLY WITHIN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, AND PARTICULARLY, LOOKING AT THE ISSUE OF YOUTH HOMELESSNESS, THERE'S SUCH A HIGH REPRESENTATION OF YOUTH OF COLOR THAT WE KNOW THAT WHEN THERE'S PEOPLE THAT YOUTH CAN IDENTIFY AS THEMSELVES, THEY ARE ABLE TO ENGAGE MORE AUTHENTICALLY AND GET THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED. BUT I WOULD STILL SAY THAT MOST OF THE PROGRAMS -- I'VE BEEN TO OVER 100 YOUTH PROVIDERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND YOU WILL PROBABLY SEE LBGT PROFESSIONALS BUT IT'S NOT AT THE HIGH LEVELS PEOPLE OF COLOR AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE. >> GUSTAVO, DID YOU WANT TO WRAP UP? >> NOT ON THAT TOPIC. SINCE YOU ASKED FOR ANY COMMENTS TO WRAP UP, I DIDN'T WANT TO MISS, BEFORE THE END OF THE PROGRAM, TO SAY TO REALLY GIVE A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE AND CONGRATULATIONS TO GLOBE, THE LBGTQ AFFINITY GROUP. I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS IN MANY FEDERAL AGENCIES AND WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT THESE AFFINITY GROUPS DO ACROSS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND I REALLY RESPECT WHAT GLOBE HAS DONE AND CONTINUES TO DO HERE AT HUD. IT'S A GREAT GROUP, AND THEY 60 NOT ONLY SERVE THE TYPICAL AFFINITY GROUP WORK, BUT YOU GUYS ARE REALLY ALWAYS ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AND POSING THE DEBATE ABOUT HOW TO DO THE RIGHT THING. SO I WANTED TO GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO GLOBE, BECAUSE THEY ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. >> [APPLAUSE] >> OKAY. WITH THAT I WANT TO THANK THE PANEL, AGAIN, FOR THE IDEAS THAT YOU GAVE US, THE THOUGHTFUL RESPONSES THAT YOU PROVIDED, AND HOPEFULLY THE TOOLS THAT WE AT HUD AND WITH OUR PARTNERS CAN USE AS WE GO FORWARD TO FURTHER THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING TOGETHER. SO PLEASE, ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE PANELISTS. >> [APPLAUSE] >> I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MICHAEL TO CLOSE THIS UP. >> THANK YOU ANNA. ANNA IS JUST A ROCK STAR MODERATOR. SHE REALLY -- LET'S GIVE ANNA A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. ALSO A THANK YOU TO, PANEL, FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR BUSY DAY TO COME OUT HERE. A FEW OF YOU TRAVELED FROM NEW YORK CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LET'S GIVE THEM ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE. THANK YOU. >> [APPLAUSE] >> I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK OUR BROADCASTING TEAM, THE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TEAMS. WE HAD A PHOTOGRAPHER OUT THERE, HE DID A GREAT JOB. I HOPE TO SEE THE PICTURES THAT I'M SURE ARE FANTASTIC. AND ALL OF THE SUPPORT STAFF WHO MADE THIS EVENT POSSIBLE. 61 I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE TEAM OF FOLKS WHO HELPED PLAN THIS PRIDE EVENT, AND SINCE I HAD TO COME UP HERE AND TALK, I WOULD LIKE YOU, IF YOU HELPED SERVE ON THE PRIDE PLANNING TEAM, TO PLEASE STAND AND LET'S RECOGNIZE THE FOLKS. I SEE YOU. THERE ARE TWO. COME ON! >> [APPLAUSE] >> THIS WAS REALLY A HUGE TEAM EFFORT. THERE WERE MANY OTHER FOLKS THAT WERE INVOLVED THAT ARE NOT HERE TODAY, FOLKS WORKING FROM LITERALLY AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT HELPED US PREPARE FOR THIS EVENT. SO THANK YOU FOR HELPING PREPARE FOR THIS EVENT. AND TO THOSE OF YOU IN THE ROOM, AND THE COUNTLESS NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING ONLINE FROM THEIR DESKS, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY, AND BE SURE TO CONNECT WITH US THROUGH THE HUD CONNECT PAGE AND YOU CAN JOIN US ON OUR LIST BY E-MAILING HUD GLOBE AT HUD.GOV. AND WE ALSO INVITE ANY HUD EMPLOYEE, REGARDLESS OF ORIENTATION, TO JOIN US AT OUR NEXT MEETING. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY, AND HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! THANK YOU. >> [APPLAUSE] >>