New social security policy allows for self-selection of gender.
As part of the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Equity Action Plan, on October 20, 2022, the Acting Commissioner of Social Security, Kilolo Kijakazi, announced that SSA will offer individuals the option to self-select their gender on their Social Security Number (SSN) applications and records. SSA is committed to decreasing the burden on those who identify differently from their assigned gender at birth. Acting Commissioner Kijakazi stated, “This new policy allows people to self-select their sex in our records without needing to provide documentation of their sex designation.”
Those who want to update their SSN records will need to apply for a replacement card. (https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf) They will still need to prove their identity with current documentation, such as a passport or state-issued driver’s license or identity card. Although the gender field is not used in determining benefit eligibility, SSA is working with other agencies to allow millions of transgender people in the United States to update their most commonly used identification documents.
Unfortunately, the current SSA record system cannot include nonbinary or unspecified gender designation at this time. SSA is exploring options to support an “X” designation in the future.
Social Security Implements Self-Attestation of Sex Marker in Social Security Number Records (Abigail Zapote, Senior Advisor to the Commissioner, dated October 20, 2022)
Donna Sachet; the Queen of the Castro, fundraising powerhouse, fierce LGBTQ+ advocate, and longtime friend of PRC – recently interviewed PRC’s Brett Andrews to give readers of her SF Bay Times column a chance to learn more about how Brett views his twenty years of leadership at PRC.
Give it a read and you’re sure to feel inspired. We certainly are!
As the city of tolerance and the birthplace of gay rights, San Francisco has been a sanctuary and home to hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals since World War II, when many landed here after being dishonorably discharged from the military solely for their sexual orientation. To this day, San Francisco stands as a symbol of hope for gay men, women, and non-binary individuals from less progressive towns throughout the country and the world. Sadly, San Francisco is also one of the cities most heavily impacted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic that has taken the lives of millions and continues to affect countless individuals to this day. At its onset, HIV/AIDS primarily affected gay men, who were not acknowledged or given assistance from the federal government, forcing them to fend for themselves.
It is no surprise, therefore, that San Francisco spearheaded efforts for HIV/AIDS support services and medical advancements. San Franciscans have long been a leading example of how communities can come together to support each other. In the four decades that have passed since the first documented cases of AIDS, many of the grassroots organizations that formed in response have either merged with others or faded into memories. PRC’s Emergency Financial Assistance program has stood the test of time and continues to support the basic financial needs for low-income HIV+ San Francisco residents.
If you were living in San Francisco in the 1980s and 1990s, you probably recall seeing penny jars on the counters of local merchants, bars, restaurants, and offices, politely asking for donations. Simple displays prompted you to leave the change from your purchase or lighten your pockets to support a local cause. It was an effort spawned out of desperation by a community witnessing friend after friend fall victim to the deadliest pandemic of their time. These penny jars meant something, not only to the people wanting to help friends and partners, but to those who relied on these donations to pay for utilities, medical bills, housing, and even funerals. This “Every Penny Counts” grassroots effort was one of the many fundraising tactics utilized by the AIDS Emergency Fund (AEF), now known as PRC’s Emergency Financial Assistance (EFA) program, which has distributed more than $35 million dollars to clients since its founding in 1982.
Every Penny Counts Founder Fred Skau passed away in 1993
You may wonder how collecting pennies could ever translate into millions of dollars. Also, who collected and counted them, and who decided how much money to give to each person? How much does that amount of coins even weigh? These are all important questions that need to be answered. Starting with the easiest to visualize, 100,000,000 pennies, or $1 million dollars, collectively weigh 551,000 pounds, roughly the equivalent of 16 semi-trucks. Granted, not all the donations came in pennies. Other coins, bills, and checks were also accepted. Still, collecting and counting was no light task.
Volunteers were the lifeblood of AEF by delivering empty coin jars around town, picking them up when filled, cleaning and sorting the coins, working directly with recipients of the fund, and writing grant checks. Each year on December 2nd, following World AIDS Day, hundreds of volunteers, sponsors, and even school students would gather in San Francisco’s Justin Herman Plaza, then years later at Union Square, for Every Penny Counts Day to sort and count donations. Bodybuilders from World Gym would do the heavy lifting as coin bags were filled, and Radio station Wild 107 awarded a dance party and a mixer to the top two schools that raised the most pennies per student each year.
In 1982, AEF’s first year in operation, $6,500 was raised, and by 1992 they were distributing more than $1,000,000 annually in the form of emergency grants to low-income individuals experiencing HIV/AIDS. To qualify for a grant, a client’s monthly income had to be less than $1,456. However, most recipients were living on $900 or less. Each qualifying recipient could receive up to $500 per year with a lifetime benefit of $1,000. Although the grant amounts seem small, they managed to keep people housed, their basic utilities on, and provide some relief to the already overwhelming stresses associated with the debilitating disease. By 1996, EFA was distributing more than $1.6 million annually with 75% going to requests for emergency housing payments, and the remaining 25% supporting utilities, medical bills, and funeral costs.
In 1997, AEF operated with a four-person staff, donated furniture, and a phone system that was on its last leg. Still, they stayed true to their mission to assist as many people as possible. AEF was also operating at a deficit and for the first and only time, was forced to reduce grant amounts to $400 per year with a lifetime cap of $800. Grant amounts returned to $500 per year in March of 1998, and clients who had met the reduced lifetime maximum of $800 were informed that they could receive the additional $200.
Providing nearly 4,000 individuals per year with a grant of up to $500 required AEF to raise an additional $500,000 annually, and collecting pennies was not enough. As HIV/AIDS continued taking lives and more people tested positive, the number of individuals needing assistance also continued to grow. Once again, the community responded by creating a variety of fundraising events in bars, homes, and community spaces. Some even put AEF in their wills, their final gift as many joined the ever-growing list of AIDS victims. The creation of the Bare Chest Calendar in 1994 joined the annual AEF Awards Dinner in funneling its proceeds directly to AEF grants. Ambassador James Hormel, who sadly passed last year, announced the Hearts of Gold Campaign at the AEF Awards dinner in 1997, asking the community to pledge recurring yearly donations of $500 or more to help support the growing need.
In 2016, AIDS Emergency Fund merged with PRC (at that time known as Positive Resource Center) and was renamed Emergency Financial Assistance (EFA). PRC had been assisting HIV/AIDS clients since 1987 as AIDS Benefits Counselors by offering legal assistance in securing Social Security and disability benefits and helping to navigate through the cumbersome process. The merger was a natural fit for these two organizations serving the same population and provided a continuum of services that clients could move through on their path to better health and financial outcomes.
The need for PRC’s Emergency Financial Assistance continues to this day. To keep up, PRC has grown in its operations and in its fundraising efforts. It now partners with the city and other public funders, foundations, and corporate donors in addition to individual supporters. This growth has helped to secure the funds needed to provide individuals with an annual maximum benefit of $500 with no lifetime maximum, and the possible addition of a $1,000 stipend to assist with a deposit for housing or to prevent an eviction. We are infinitely grateful for the continued support of all our donors who make this grantmaking possible and remain forever thankful to the countless staff and volunteers who helped build AEF and bring it into a new era, all of whom have a lot to be proud of.
If you enjoyed reading about the history of the AIDS Emergency Fund and its transition to become PRC’s Emergency Financial Assistance and would like to support our programs, please consider making a donation. You can learn more about all of PRC’s services on our website.
This is progress. Speaking truth! And making our voices heard.
PRC reminds our community of its commitment to justice in all its forms, as we celebrate the rights of LGBTQ workers that are now protected from employment discrimination in America.
This week’s Supreme Court ruling has offered a glimmer of hope for our institutions, as we stand with our LGBTQ workers, leaders, clients, and the broader LGBT community. It took countless allies and decades of advocacy around the nation to achieve the right for equality and human rights in the workplace, and we have now finally achieved the ability to break the chains of second class citizenship in our workforce.
At a time in our democracy that grapples with how it treats Black Lives and the most vulnerable in America, we are able to celebrate newly won protections for LGBTQ workers that have been treated without dignity for far too long. We owe the past victims of insidious discriminationa debt of gratitude for speaking their truth, and making their voices heard. This is progress, and PRC will continue to march toward further progress with all who join the fight for human dignity in America.
Some things don’t have to change. We are who we are. Thank god.
While this pandemic will prevent us from marching down Market Street in colorful mass to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Pride parades held in San Francisco and New York City, it does not prevent us from coming together to celebrate ourselves, our hard-fought achievements, our rampant creativity, and our strength in community.
On the contrary, it should inspire us to do so regardless – safely, of course, with smart adherence to in-person social distancing guidelines, and plenty of aplomb.
I have long admired my good friends Donna Sachet and Gary Virginia—the most dynamic of duos—giving, doing, organizing, giving, convening, inspiring, doing, (did I mention giving?), entertaining, celebrating, and bringing it over and over again in big and small ways to meet community needs. So, I am not surprised that they will outdo themselves again this year.
Their legendary Pride Brunch—the event of the season—will go on, June 27th, and everyone is invited!
From the comfort of your living room, kitchen, or dining room, Gary and Donnawill bring you the Grand Marshals of the Pride Paradeat high-noon on Saturday June 27th, honor the rich history of LGBTQ culture and liberation, and celebrate 50 years of San Francisco Pride with a saucykitchen battle.The two will share their favorite brunch recipes and you will be the judge yourself, crowning the winner “Pride Brunch Queen.”
We can sit back and relax with hosted cocktails and a delicious brunch delivered right to our respective doors. Or you can dance, parade, and sing along to live entertainment, live auctions, and special surprises in the privacy of your own home. This longstanding PRC fundraiser honors individuals and organizations fighting for LGBTQ equality, while raising critical dollars for PRC’s lifesaving services like legal advocacy, emergency financial assistance, residential treatment, and employment services.
Celebrating 50 years of San Francisco community Pride, parading, and action, it is hard to believe how far the LGBTQ movement has come since the Stonewall riots erupted, awakening a new generation of legal and social advocacy. In retrospect, this turning point brings new lessons today amid this evolving era of worldwide COVID-19 public health emergency. We are all connected, and we are stronger when we stand together.
As public consciousness is rising about that interconnectedness and our Country’s glaring health, income and access inequities, I am proud of San Francisco, our LGBT and allied communities. We’re on the frontlines, showing up for the most vulnerable again and again. And while there is still plenty of work to do, I look forward to celebrating the contributions and opportunities brought by this year’s Grand Marshals—The LGBT Asylum Project, Founder of the Spahr Center Rev. Dr. Jane Spahr, and Executive Director of the LGBT Historical Society Terry Beswick—at this year’s virtual Pride Brunch.
PRC, Pride Brunch’s beneficiary, has long fought for the most disenfranchised and health-challenged in our community on the frontlines of HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ advocacy for access to basic and critical resources. Today, these efforts are even more important as the impact of longstanding fissures in health status and experiences by race, geography, income, and identity are laid bare by the novel coronavirus.PRC is providing emergency funds for rent, medication, and connectivity; legal advocacy to preserve healthcare and subsistence income through job loss and upheaval;and emotional support and employment services to keep people moving forward; while also sheltering nearly 300 adults in place through a substance use and mental health treatment continuum prioritizing health, safety, and wellness.
As a 55-year old African American gay man, I am both deeply familiar with the disconnection between legal equality and lived equalityand deeply indebted to the collective advocacy of so many courageous individuals who were willing to hold the line, never back down, and stand in harm’s way. So, let’s come together on June 27th and celebrate what’s good and great about San Francisco Pride.
Inspired again by Gary and Donna, I thinkthe dire issues of the day will continue to galvanize us – a Inspired again by Gary and Donna, I think the dire issues of the day will continue to galvanize us – a stronger, even more compassionate community. Ichoose joy, love, honesty, empathy, compassion and service along with a hint of leather, lipstick, and humor. So, let’s brunch!
How could we not celebrate Pride’s 50th anniversary. I’m already planning my outfit. Don’t miss the Battle of the Queens, Gary Virginia and Donna Sachet’s legendary Pride Bruch, streaming live at 12pm on June 27th.Tickets are on sale, so get yourstoday, and prepare to give big. See you there.
Every year on March 10th, the U.S. observes National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
HIV prevention and treatment are critical to reducing new HIV cases among women and girls. Women and girls – as well as their partners, friends, and family members who care about them – are encouraged to learn more about how they can take control of their own health to prevent and treat HIV.
HIV/AIDS is an equality opportunity virus. Any woman or girl who is sexually active can contract HIV/AIDS regardless of race, ethnicity, age, or sexual orientation. However, statistics show that African American and Latinx women and girls have a higher chance of acquiring HIV than their counterparts. [Facts https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/gender/women/index.html]
There is great news! With today’s advancements in HIV/AIDS research and treatment it is possible to prevent HIV infection or passing the virus on to a partner or baby. Some unique challenges women and girls face are related to STDs, which may increase the risk of HIV infection.
Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) is addressing the specific needs of women and girls who could be exposed to the virus or living with HIV.
Please take a minute to view this important message from Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.
Follow these links to:
Learn more about National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Find a local HIV testing or a healthcare provider, visit locator.HIV.gov.
Find out more about PrEP at HIV.gov/PrEP and see if you qualify for the Ready, Set, PrEP at GetYourPrEP.comTogether, we can stop HIV.
We’re proud to introduce a new pathway to personal and economic growth for the thousands of people overcoming mental health, HIV or substance use challenges each year in San Francisco. One of five California programs selected, the Office of Statewide Health Planning will invest nearly $500,000 over two years in PRC’s award winning workforce development model. The result? We’re scaling up a peer-to-peer occupational training pathway recently launched in partnership with San Francisco’s Department of Public Health. Lifting Up Peers for a Brighter Tomorrowor Lift UP SF is a win for consumers, a win for behavioral health services providers, and a win for San Francisco.
Lift UP SF readies consumers—people in and exiting mental health and substance use treatment programs, family members, and caregivers—to put their lived experience to use on a competitive career path. It spans a 64-hour comprehensive training curriculum designed by advocates and consumers, individualized placement support, and peer group services to prepare graduates for volunteer, part-time, and full-time peer positions in the most common health settings: Social and Human Service Assistants, Case Workers, Case Managers, Client Advocates, Family Self-Sufficiency Specialists, and Independent Living Specialists among others.
Leveraging the experience of people with lived experience in mental health, substance use, and public health systems doesn’t just make sense, it’s proven to result in better outcomes for consumers on both sides of the interaction.
Beyond professional skill delivery, peer specialists in health settings share the same vocabulary as those they help, have credibility, and embody an accessible vision of success. Paid or volunteer employment is also a key component of recovery from mental health and substance use disorders, particularly methamphetamine addiction. The act of going to training, getting placed in employment, and accessing a supportive community support throughout this process dramatically improves an individual’s ability to maintain their recovery.
This pathway is timely, right here and right now. San Francisco has very low unemployment (1.9%) overall, but prosperity and stability are not shared equitably across our community. A high cost of living, driven primarily by housing expenses, strains many long-time residents and the populations PRC serves. African Americans and other communities of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, people with behavioral health disorders, and people living with HIV are overrepresented among the unemployed and have lower than average salaries, placing them at high risk for displacement and homelessness. People with lower incomes also have higher rates of mental health disorders.
It’s a circular argument Lift UP SF seeks to disrupt.
The training program specifically reaches into these under-employed consumer groups to provide more than a living wage. An increasing economic outlook seeds hope, and a career trajectory positions consumers—people like those exiting PRC’s 30/60/90 day treatment programs or in our co-op living around the city—to progress through the continuum of care and transition successfully to independent living.
As a result, not only do we expect to decrease unemployment among Bay Area residents impacted by mental illness, substance use disorder, and/or HIV/AIDS and to expedite treatment program exits making room for more people to access needed treatment services, Lift UP SF will develop a diverse, representative pool of qualified, culturally competent staff to help alleviate the worker shortage in behavioral health settings across San Francisco and beyond. PRC’s program launches with more than 17 partners—from Castro Country Club and the City of San Francisco Community Behavioral Health Services to Native American Health Center, Mission Neighborhood Health Center, and Alameda and Contra Costa County Behavioral Health Programs—already signed on and seeking to fill already identified peer staffing shortages across public mental health services.
SAN FRANCISCO (June 20, 2019) – PRC, whose nonprofit mission is to provide a variety of legal, social and health services to San Francisco residents affected by HIV/AIDS, substance use or mental health issues, has announced its official endorsement of the Undetectable equals Untransmittable (U=U) campaign.
Whether one is affected by HIV or is HIV negative, it is important to know and understand U=U. The U=U campaign was born in New York City and has quickly spread across North America and the global community.
The stigma associated with HIV remains one of the greatest barriers for people in accessing HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and support. PRC’s endorsement of U=U sends a clear message that sharing the knowledge regarding U=U with our San Francisco community is an urgent priority to save lives and fight stigma, as well as is a call to take action to help spread the message.
U=U (Undectable equals Untransmittable) has unequivocally been supported by scientific evidence. It shows that, when an individual is in HIV Treatment and maintains a suppressed viral load, there is effectively no risk of transmission to their partner during sex.
Through its partnership with Getting to Zero San Francisco, PRC is committed to preventing new HIV diagnoses and supporting people living with HIV to stay in treatment so they can live their best lives.
Continued support of campaigns like U=U is critical to ending HIV-related stigma. This will help us achieve the goals of preventing new diagnoses, reaching undiagnosed individuals, and ensuring that people living with HIV receive the care, treatment and support they need.
About PRC
PRC (formerly Positive Resource Center) is a San Francisco-based nonprofit that helps people affected by HIV/AIDS, substance use or mental health issues better realize the opportunities available to them. PRC provides integrated legal, social, and health services to address the broad range of social risk factors that impact wellness and limit potential. In 2017, the organization merged with AIDS Emergency Fund (AEF), an emergency financial assistance provider for low-income residents living with HIV/AIDS, and Baker Places, an agency that provides a comprehensive array of residential treatment services to people with mental health, substance use, and HIV/AIDS-related issues. Combined, the three organizations represent a 115-year history of service and serve approximately 5,000 clients annually. For more information, please visit www.prcsf.org
Our hearts are full, and our doors are open! With your generosity, PRC’s Chair the Love campaign raised $36,310.
We are grateful. Time and again you show up for PRC and our clients.
Through Chair the Love, you helped furnish our clients’ experience during their journey toward better health, stable housing, and income growth within PRC’s new Integrated Service Center. Every step of the way, from their inital Client Services meeting through planning their next steps with an Employment Specialist, your support helps the over 5,000 adults living with HIV/AIDS, mental health, and substance use issues on their path to wellness each year.
But that’s not the end.
PRC has always been about community. Stay tuned for neighborhood and training events hosted at our community hub at 170 9th Street. Get updates: sign up for our newsletter and blogs, and follow us on social media for updates.
Together, we are changing lives and building community.
Some Californians, individuals, and families enrolled in Covered California (Covered CA) plans are eligible for financial assistance to lower the cost of their health insurance. Anyone who receives financial assistance with Covered CA is required to file a federal tax return as a condition of eligibility.
Premium Assistance (formally called the Advanced Premium Tax Credit or APTC) is a tax credit to reduce an individual’s monthly premium.
Cost-Sharing Reductions is a subsidy to reduce an individual’s out-of-pocket costs (their copay’s, coinsurance, deductible and out-of-pocket maximum).
Important Information Regarding Premium Assistance and Tax Filing
All Covered CA consumers who receive Premium Assistance/APTC, must file federal taxes for each calendar year they receive the assistance. If they fail to file their taxes, they will lose their eligibility for Premium Assistance/APTC. The consumer will then be responsible for paying the full premium amount and will have a higher cost-sharing for health care services.
Warning Notices
Covered CA has mailed warning notices to those who are at risk of losing their Premium Assistance/APTC. These notices were sent to consumers who in 2017:
Received Premium Assistance/APTC in the calendar year but did not file a federal tax return for that year;
Filed a federal tax return but did not includeIRS Form 8962; or
Requested an extension to file a federal tax return but did not end up filing the return.
Covered CA consumers who fall within any of these categories will have until May 15, 2019, to preserve their Premium Assistance/APTC by reconciling their premium assistance and contacting Covered California to attest to having done so.
If consumers fail to take these steps, they will receive another notice, in a pink envelope, that tells them when their financial assistance will end if no action is taken. Covered CA consumers who fail to take corrective action will lose their current financial help starting July 1, 2019.
415-777-0333
