In light of fears that existing laws have had a overwhelmingly negative effect on LGBTQ students and students of color, the City Council on July 18 passed a number of pieces of legislation, including a bill to increase the state’s rapid STI screening locations.
The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s ( HHS) would need to offer quick STI services in at least four of the city’s five boroughs as part of the proposed infrastructure bill in New York City. According to the City Council, the Department of Health may pick the areas of the swift testing websites and provide a report to the Council on the rationale behind those specific areas. To inform residents of the locations and services that are available, the Department of Health had spearhead a campaign to raise awareness. Every three times, the city would have to make a statement to the Council regarding the availability of quick STI tests.
The legislation was led by Councilmember Pierina Sanchez, who said in a written statement that inequities in STI rates since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic have “most harshly impact]ed ] New Yorkers at the intersection of Black, Latino, low-income and LGBTQ+ communities”. It was co-sponsored by dozens of city lawmakers, including LGBTQIA + Caucus Co-Chairs Erik Bottcher of Manhattan and Tiffany Cabán of Queens.
After closing numerous sexual health clinics in the midst of the crisis, the area has taken action. Two of the state’s sexual health clinics — Crown Heights and Riverside — remain shut, according to the state’s online site. Rapid tests is currently only offered at two clinics, which is less than half of the number of centers that would be required by the new policy to get operational.
In New York City, there was a male sexual problem in 2022. While not exactly the same as new infections, there were 1, 624 new symptoms in 2022, 79 % of which were people. Among them, 62 % were men who have sex with men, and within that group, 82 % were Black or Latinx, according to the city Health Department. In contrast, gonorrhea increased by 28 % in 2021 while syphilis cases increased by 74 % since 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC )’s ( CDC ) national data. In New York City, chlamydia rates among men climbed by 13.2 % between 2020 and 2021, while gonorrhea rates saw a 12.9 % uptick.
We are making an important step in addressing brutal disparities in STI infection rates and investing in the long-term health of the people of New York City, Sanchez said in a written statement. It is now necessary to make sure anyone has access to the life-saving services they require.
A combined effort to address concerns about college dress code and the harsh effects those laws can have on Gay students and students of color was approved on the same day. According to the Council, Councilmember Diana Ayala of Manhattan and the Bronx sponsored one of those two activities that required the Department of Education to publish dress code guidelines website and prepare a report on them for five decades. Additionally, the report needs to include information on breaches and penalties as well as whether or not schools have dress code.
According to Ayala,” Inconsistent dress code guidelines in New York City public schools have resulted in significant skill and consequences for students who are merely expressing themselves,” in a written statement. Students and families should be able to quickly check out any school’s dress code policy on the Department of Education’s website in a convenient place to find out if their personal schools ‘ plans are actually non-discriminatory and in line with DOE guidelines. My hope is that this transparency will lead to fair, inclusive, and consistent policies that do n’t discriminate against our students in our educational system.
The Council also passed a separate but related request to the state’s Department of Education to develop a dress code plan that is diverse, in line with Title IX, and accounts for body, sex, and different cultures, according to the Council. Althea Stevens of the Bronx, a council member, supported that resolution.
Councillor Adrienne Adams praised city officials for implementing policies to improve school dress codes and speed up STI testing.
According to Adams, expanding health services to meet the needs of New Yorkers in their communities has always been top of mind for this Council, according to a written statement. ” With the passage of today’s legislation, more residents will soon have greater access to rapid STI testing that can prevent unnecessary spread and transmission. Youth advocates raised this concern as part of the Council’s Young Women’s Initiative 2.0, which the Council is also taking steps to address inequities within the dress code policies of our public school system. Our legislation can advance anti-discrimination protections that support all students by requiring greater transparency and calling for inclusivity in the dress code.
Gay City News has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment and is awaiting a response.