FOLX Health and Black Trans Advocacy Coalition partner for Pride
FOLX Health, the digital healthcare service provider designed by and for the LGBTQIA+ community, has announced the relaunch of the FOLX Care Fund for Pride 2023, in partnership with Black Trans Advocacy Coalition (BTAC).
The fundraising campaign embarks on an ambitious goal to raise $400,000 to grant 491 trans people a year of gender-affirming hormone therapy, along with prescription medication, clinical visits, messaging and labs, as well as support for basic needs such as housing and employment. The fundraising goal draws attention to the 491 anti-LGBTQ bills sweeping the nation.
Since the launch of the FOLX Health HRT Care Fund in 2021, FOLX Health and BTAC have partnered to fund gender-affirming hormone therapy for the transgender community, and have distributed grants worth over $350,000 to people who otherwise couldn’t afford it – with a special focus on Black trans grantees and trans people of color. FOLX Health and BTAC are pledging to use their platform and resources to grant trans people in need of the life-saving treatment they deserve. They are bridging the gap for the staggering 38% of transgender folks who want hormone therapy, but have been unable to access it and, aiding the 1 in 3 who have avoided seeking care due to costs.
“FOLX Health was founded to transform healthcare for the LGBTQIA+ community and to increase access to care for those of us who have been most marginalized by legacy healthcare systems,” said CEO of FOLX Health, Liana Douillet Guzman.
“With an overwhelming amount of anti-LGBTQIA+ bills being introduced at an alarming rate, we’re taking a stand in solidarity with the trans community, setting our most ambitious fundraising goal yet. It is our hope that the FOLX Care Fund and this year’s campaign will shine a light on the community in a time when there is so much uncertainty surrounding trans rights.”
The digital campaign will run for the month of June on Rally Up and will include a livestream event hosted by Alex Renee, a FOLX member and social media creator with nearly 8 million followers on TikTok. Through the campaign website, supporters will be able to donate funds, win perks and take part in a digital auction featuring goods and services from LGBTQ+ and ally brands, including signed books from trans advocate Schuyler Bailer and nonbinary activist Jeffrey Marsh, Stealth Bros & Co Dopp Kits, For Them binders, Ary World makeup by Alex Renee, trans vocal training lessons, trans job seeking resources, art from the Leslie Lohman Museum of Art, and more.
According to the Executive Director of BTAC, Carter Brown, “Black transgender individuals are unfairly discriminated against, which can prevent them from receiving necessary care and meeting their essential needs. To address this issue, BTAC has partnered with FOLX Health and their Care Fund to offer grants that cover a year of gender-affirming hormone therapy. This collaboration aims to improve the health and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community, particularly the Black transgender community.”
Care through the FOLX Care Fund means digital video visits and secure messaging with LGBTQIA+-expert clinicians, medications and supplies shipped directly to grantee members, and check-ins, lab monitoring, and care navigation. Research has shown that access to gender-affirming care means decreased anxiety and depression, reduced risk of suicidal thoughts, increased self-esteem, and improved overall quality of life.
To learn more about FOLX Health, visit www.folxhealth.com.
To learn more about Black Trans Advocacy Coalition, visit www.blacktrans.org.
ABOUT FOLX HEALTH
Launched in December 2020, FOLX Health is an LGBTQIA+ healthcare service provider built to serve the community’s specific needs. The company delivers a new standard of healthcare that’s built by and for LGBTQIA+ people. FOLX Health provides end-to-end virtual primary care, gender-affirming care including hormone therapy (HRT), PrEP, care navigation, content and community through a diverse network of queer and trans-specialized providers. In January 2021, FOLX Health established the FOLX HRT Care Fund which redistributes financial resources from allies inside and outside of the LGBTQIA+ community to support trans, nonbinary, and intersex folks to access gender-affirming care through FOLX.
ABOUT BLACK TRANS ADVOCACY COALITION
The National Black Trans Advocacy Coalition was established in 2011 and is the only social justice organization led by Black trans individuals. Our main goal is to address the inequities that Black transgender people face in various aspects of life, including health, employment, housing, and education.
BTAC works towards ending poverty and discrimination, which are deeply rooted in systemic racism, through our national advocacy center and state chapters. Our work involves peacebuilding, community education, public policy initiatives, empowerment programs, and direct services.
The National Black Trans Advocacy Coalition collaborates with communities in the US and worldwide to promote diversity, inclusion, and equality for all individuals. It is led by Black Transmen, Inc., Black Transwomen, Inc., and Black Trans MX non-profit organizations.
SOURCE: FOLX Health
