Contact: Molly Weedn | molly@weednpa.com
Sacramento, CA – Equality California (EQCA), the nation’s largest statewide LGTBQ+ civil rights organization, has opposed Proposition 44. They are the latest advocacy group to join the 1,000+ community health centers, social justice advocates, community groups, business organizations, doctors, nurses, teachers and both the Democratic and Republican parties in opposing Prop 44.
The measure will have a devastating impact across California and will result in hundreds of community clinics shutting down and vital patient services being cut.
“At Equality California, we strive to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ+ people,” said Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang. “At a time when healthcare providers are facing unprecedented federal attacks, Prop 44 could lead thousands of LGBTQ+ people to lose access to their healthcare, exacerbating our community’s health crisis. We urge voters to join us in saying No to Prop 44 to make sure everyone has equal access to healthy lives.“
“Prop 44 will potentially cut $1.7 billion from community clinics in the first year alone. That’s critical funding that keeps important programs operating across our network of health centers,” says DAP Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Aquilina. “We’re proud of the whole-person, whole-community care that DAP Health offers across our 23 fixed sites and six mobile units from the Coachella Valley to the San Diego coast. But the penalties imposed by Prop 44 will mean we have to cut many of the services our patients rely on, or even close some of our doors altogether.”
Founded as Desert AIDS Project by community volunteers in Palm Springs in 1984, DAP Health has continually evolved, broadening its mission to protect and expand health care access in the region. The nonprofit ensures every person – almost 80,000 a year – who walks through its doors receives the expert, affirming care they need and deserve.
A UCLA study published in 2022 outlines that, “Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adults in California face significant barriers in accessing health care despite having similar or better rates of health insurance coverage than heterosexual or cisgender adults.”
The same study found that Transgender adults (37%) were more likely to rely on Medi-Cal for their health insurance. In California, community clinics provide care for 1 in 3 Medi-Cal patients.
“For many of our LGTBQ+ community members, community health centers like DAP Health are the only source of care for hundreds of miles. If clinics are forced to close, millions of patients will have nowhere to turn for care,” added Aquilina.
For more information, visit https://noprop44.com/