Ryan Laird on WNYC for our first show in the month of June, we say, happy pride.

It is LGBTQ Pride Month, and for our first segment about it this year, we will note that the

LGBT community is among those unhappy about proposed cuts to public health programs and Mayor

Adams' proposed budget for the new fiscal year, which begins at the end of the month, technically

July 1st. Council and the mayor are deep into negotiations over all

kinds of programs and their funding at a time when lower revenues for a variety of reasons means

there will be cuts. The question is where? As our health reporter, Caroline Lewis, writes on

Gothamist, HIV services, including a program that has been shown to help hard to reach

patients, patients reduce their viral loads, are among those targeted for cuts. That would be

$5.3 million less in spending on HIV programs as part of 75 million overall in cuts to the health department.

Caroline reports that the mayor's health commissioner, Dr. Ashwin-Vosson, said about 80% of the cuts

come from reducing department overhead and spending on non-public-facing programs,

but another $15 million is spread out among direct services to the public,

including the 5 million taken from HIV programs. So public health activists, including

HIV activists, are activated, and getting into that act is ACT UP UP, the legendary AIDS and

HIV activist group that had such an impact on awareness

and policy in the 1980s and 1990s, especially, with us now two organizers for Act Up, Nia

Notting and Brandon Quickey. Nia is also with Come Forever Mutual Aid. Nia and Brandon, thanks for coming on.

Welcome to WNYC.

Thank you for having us.

Thanks so much, Brian, for having us.

And first of all, Nia, many listeners may be wondering,

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