BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Pride Center of WNY and Evergreen Health announced Tuesday that they have declined Gov. Hochul's request to attend this year's Buffalo Pride Festival and Parade.
In a statement, the Pride Center and Evergreen Health stated that in Hochul's budget, funds generated by the 340B drug pricing program are being taken away from community health centers and are instead being directed toward the state.
This comes after Evergreen Health announced that they would file a lawsuit against the state in hopes that it would provide a temporary block on the new budget.
In its statement, Evergreen also mentioned the importance of the 340B program, and how its funding has helped cared for some of its "most vulnerable community members" including communities of color, LGBTQ patients, people living with HIV, refugees, and people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
You can read the statement below:
“We have informed Governor Hochul and her Administration that their request to attend the Buffalo Pride Parade and Festival has been declined. We have not arrived at this decision lightly and we are saddened to have to make this stand. In the Governor’s budget, she advances a Cuomo-era policy that redirects revenue generated by the federal 340B drug pricing program away from community health centers and into the State’s coffers. The 340B program is an essential, predictable, and stable funding source for community health centers and covered entities. Without this funding, our organization and others like us would have been unable to meet the demands of the COVID crisis. We will have to reduce the size of our food pantry, wait list patients, shutter harm reduction programs, and say no when the State calls on us for other health emergencies. 340B funding has helped us feed, shelter, and care for some of our most vulnerable community members. This isn’t about money. It’s about our ability to meet the needs of this community, prevent illness, end the AIDS epidemic, and help our patients thrive. An attack on the program is an attack on communities who need it: communities of color, LGBTQ patients, people living with HIV, refugees, and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In good faith to those we serve, we cannot welcome policies that run counter to our mission of supporting LGBTQ+ people and their health. We have communicated our full-throated opposition and have tried endless to work with the administration for years, on a solution that would hold providers and patients harmless. Unfortunately, the Governor has not been willing to find a solution that works.”
7 News reached out to the governor's office for a statement and the following was provided:
"Governor Hochul is a steadfast supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and has the record to back it up, using newly-signed legislation and state funding to lift up LGBTQ+ individuals in every corner of the State. Due to pending litigation from Evergreen Health on this particular issue, we will not comment further."
