August 2nd, 2022
Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road
Atlanta, GA 30329-4027
Dear Dr. Walensky,
CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers and the member centers signed below are writing to request assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the rise of the hMPXV virus is of immediate concern to the LGBTQ+ community.
We request that the CDC supports our community and our varied efforts to combat this virus by:
- Providing funding that can be distributed to LGBTQ+ community centers who are on the ground daily educating, vaccinating, and treating patients. By funding trusted messenger organizations such as LGBTQ+ community centers, we will be able to further educate our communities about hMPXV and assist local public health agencies in vaccine promotion for higher-risk community members, as our centers did with the COVID-19 vaccine and continue to do when addressing HIV/AIDS.
- Increasing the number of available vaccines. We know that there is a scarcity of hMPXV vaccines available and recognize the progress made to produce 800k more doses in collaboration with the FDA. But as this virus continues to spread, our community must be prepared, and part of that preparation includes having enough vaccines for those who need them.
- Expanding testing and increasing patient access to testing. While the CDC has recently begun shipping hMPXV tests to five of the largest commercial labs across the country, increasing availability is critical. County public health agencies and the community-based organizations they partner with are in desperate need of sufficient testing for all those at risk of contracting hMPXV.
- Collecting sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data throughout the duration of the outbreak. The collection of SOGI data is a critical step in systematically documenting and addressing health disparities affecting LGBTQ+ persons.
- Releasing clear and consistent data so that everyone throughout the US is able to understand the outbreak and make informed decisions on how to protect themselves.
While public health departments are still investigating transmissions, both the World Health Organization and the CDC have expressed concern that a significant majority of confirmed transmissions have been between transgender women, gay and bisexual men, as well as men who have sex with men (MSM). LGBTQ+ community centers are uniquely situated to support those at risk because we operate within the very communities where the virus is currently spreading.
LGBTQ+ centers are already working to help limit the spread and protect impacted individuals and communities. From holding hMPXV testing and vaccination clinics to writing letters to their local lawmakers asking for support to collaborating with the White House to hold an informational webinar; LGBTQ+ community centers are taking on the difficult task of serving those affected by this virus. Local community centers serving LGBTQ+ people provide vital information, education, and health services to over 58,000 people each week. Despite the fact that many of our centers are consistently underfunded, their reach is vast, and their commitment unwavering to ensure that their communities are protected and served.
While the CDC claims to be doing the work necessary to contain the virus through vaccination and the spread of education, as of August 3rd, 2022, the United States has recorded 6,300 cases across fifty jurisdictions - some of the highest case numbers in the world. This is concerning as we have seen through experience with HIV/AIDS just how much the LGBTQ+ community has suffered.
We implore that our requests for the protection of our communities not be left unheard. We implore the CDC to step up and protect this country’s most vulnerable populations by taking significant actions toward stopping the spread of the hMPXV virus.
Sincerely,
CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
Ace and Aro Alliance of Central Ohio
All Under One Roof LGBT Advocates of Southeastern Idaho
Atlanta Pride Committee
Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice
Bayard Rustin Community Center
Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center
Boston Alliance of LGBTQ Youth (BAGLY)
Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center
Bridges United
Brooklyn Community Pride Center
CAMP Rehoboth, Inc.
Caribbean Equality Project [CEP]
Center on Halsted
Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation
Compton's Table, Inc
Dakota OutRight
Delmarva Pride Center
Diversity Center of Oklahoma Inc.
Diversity Richmond
EDGE New Jersey
Equality Center of the Rocky Mountains
Equality Community Center
Equitas Health (Ohio)
First City Pride Center
Gay City: Seattle's LGBTQ+ Center
GenderNexus
Grand Rapids Pride Center
Great Lakes Bay Pride
Guilford Green Foundation & LGBTQ Center
Hamptons LGBT Center
Heartland Equality
Henderson Equality Center
Hetrick-Martin Institute
HIGH IMPACTO
Hudson Pride Center
Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center
Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation
I Am Human Foundation
Identity Health Clinic
Imperial Valley LGBT Resource Center
Indiana Youth Group
Inside Out Youth Services
Institute for LGBT Health
JASMYN
Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition
Latino Equality Alliance
Lexington Pride Center
LGBT Center of Greater Reading
LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin
LGBT Detroit
LGBT Life Center
LGBT+ Center Orlando, Inc.
LGBTQ Center at UNF
LGBTQ Center OC
LGBTQ Community Center of Southern Nevada
LGBTQ+ Spectrum of Findlay
LGBTQ+ youth programs at Planned Parenthood Keystone
Long Island LGBT Center (LGBT Network)
Los Angeles LGBT Center
LYRIC (Lavender Youth Recreation Information Center)
Merced Pride Center
MoPride Center
Muncie OUTreach
Naper Pride
New Haven Pride Center
New York LGBT Network
Newark Ohio Pride Coalition
NorCal OUTreach Project
North County LGBTQ Resource Center
North Shore Alliance of GLBTQ+ Youth (NAGLY)
Oakland LBGTQ Community Center
One In Long Beach, Inc. dba The LGBTQ Center Long Beach
one-n-ten
Onslow county lgbtq community center
Our Center
Our Family Coalition
Out Boulder County
Out in the Open
Out On The Lakeshore
OutCenter Southwest Michigan
OutFront Kalamazoo
OUTMemphis
Outright Vermont
Pacific Center for Human Growth
Pacific Pride Foundation
Pizza Klatch
Pomona Pride Center, Inc.
Power Safe Place Resource Center of Virginia
Pride Center of Staten Island
Pride Center of Terre Haute Inc.
Pride Center of Vermont
Pride Center San Antonio
Pride Community and Education Center of the Tricities
Pride Community Center
Pride Community Center of North Central Florida
Pride Community Center of the Tricities
Pride Community Center, Inc
Pride Link
Pridelines
PRISM FL, Inc
Queens LGBT Center
QWELL Community Foundation
Rainbow Center
Rainbow Families
Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance
Rainbow Rose Center
Resource Center
Rockland County Pride Center
SAGA Community Center
San Diego LGBT Pride
SCV Pride Center
SF LGBT Center
Shenandoah LGBTQ Center
Side by Side
SMYAL (Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders)
SOJOURN: Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity
South Bay LGBTQ Center
Southwest Center
Spencer Pride commUnity center
St. Louis Queer+ Support Helpline
Stand with Trans
Stonewall Alliance of Chico
Stonewall Columbus
Sussex Pride
Terros Health HIV/STI Prevention
The Center on Colfax
The Center: 7 Rivers LGBTQ Connection
The DC Center for the LGBT Community
The Episcopal Parish of All Saints' Church & St. George's Chapel
The Fresno Spectrum Center
The Greater Dayton LGBT Center
The Human Rights Alliance
The LGBTQ Center (South Bend, IN)
The LGBTQ Center of the Cape Fear Coast
The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert
The LIAM Foundation
the Montrose Center
The Pride Center at Equality Park
The San Diego LGBT Community Center
The Source LGBT+ Center
The Spahr Center
Time Out Youth
Transcend the Binary
Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico
Transinclusive Group
TransOhio
Triangle Community Center
Uniting Pride of Champaign County
Uptown Gay and Lesbian Alliance (UGLA)
Utah Pride Center
Washington County Gay Straight Alliance, Inc.
Waves Ahead Puerto Rico
We Are Family
Western Montana LGBTQ+ Community Center
William Way LGBT Community Center
Youth Oasis
Youth OUTright