San Francisco's LGBTQ+ community gathered to protest Mayor Daniel Lurie's proposed budget that would cut millions of dollars in funding for community-based organizations. In an effort to close a more than $870 million budget deficit, the mayor is slashing city spending by $400 million.
Thursday, April 30, 2026 10:15PMSan Francisco's LGBTQ+ community gathered Wednesday evening to protest Mayor Daniel Lurie's proposed budget that would cut millions of dollars in funding for community-based organizations.
"We're asking folks to do here today is fill out a postcard of your San Francisco story, and share which of the queer orgs helped you, which programs impacted your life that they need to protect? ," said Anya Worley-Ziegmann of the People's Budget Coalition.
In an effort to close a more than $870 million budget deficit, the mayor is slashing city spending by $400 million, and $17 million of that is aimed at public health organizations that provide services, like HIV screening and prevention and support for LGBTQ+ youth.
"We're losing close to $300,000 at LYRIC. That is specific to workforce development and case management. We utilize our case management and our workforce programming so that they can maintain their jobs, so that they can figure out all of the other basic needs. All of that is gone," said Gael Lala-Chavez, executive director of the LYRIC Center for LGBTQ+ Youth.
Lala-Chavez says the mayor's proposed budget piles onto federal funding cuts by the Trump administration.
"Now, to have the second layer of that coming from our city -- the city that is supposed to, you know, meet these values and, and support this population -- is really daunting and actually really heartbreaking and stressful," Lala-Chavez said. The community is fighting back, packing into the SF LGBT Center, wanting their voices heard.
"Cuts should not be cuts to services that will really help people. And I don't think anybody in our city really accepts the idea that the people who really need services are going to suffer, only because the accountants say it's necessary," said San Francisco resident Lulu Shwartz.
"I hope that we can form a strong, tight coalition to get the message across to Lurie that our funding is critical. Yes, we might need to cut some, but let's try and do it with a little bit more precision," said Toni Mesec, a San Francisco resident. The Lurie has until June first to submit his proposed budget to the board of supervisors with a vote for final approval at the end of July.
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