The Ali Forney Center has been an integral part of helping at-risk youth in New York City for over two decades. Since its inception, the nonprofit has provided services and resources to over 20,000 at-risk or homeless LGBTQ+ youth each year, as well as over 70,000 meals. This year, the center saw two exciting updates — one in the form of a drag show benefit concert that raised over $300,000 and the opening of a new shelter in Harlem, named in honor of the late trans icon, Cecilia Gentili.
These two developments provide the center with more opportunity to continue doing the necessary work amidst a presidential administration that is becoming increasingly hostile towards trans and nonbinary people, spewing hateful and dangerous rhetoric. Alex Roque, the president and executive director of the Ali Forney Center, punctuates the importance of taking care of each other — not only in this political moment, but beyond, saying, “Our community has learned to take care of itself and take care of each other and events, our fundraisers, our community building events, our campaigns, our committees, our boards, our volunteer programs are all about being here for each other and believing in the power of community and chosen family.”
Casa Cecilia held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Harlem location last week, marking the five-year journey to open the home’s doors. The event was filled with community leaders and activists to celebrate this momentous occasion — the center’s first purchased property (the nonprofit rents 12 of the 13 properties it operates). And this step in owning the property allows the opportunity to put the money that would usually go towards rent back to the center to invest in programs. This will help reduce the number of people on their waiting list (currently 300 people) by 20 people a night.
Tears of joy were shed at Casa Cecilia's opening ceremony.@lexiwebsterphoto
The main selling point for the property was the location, especially for the 21- to 24-year-olds that the shelter will be welcoming. It sits in the heart of the Harlem neighborhood, close to different colleges and subway stations, and will serve as an emergency housing program, which is essentially the first step out of homelessness, attests Zachary Cohen, the deputy executive director of Development, says. The young person staying will have a bed, three meals a day, and their only task is stabilizing and catching their breath for the six months they are able to stay. The AFC also has a housing site where they can stay for two years — and that’s where they learn to “put the training wheels on and learn how to live an independent life,” Cohen says.
The Center works with the young adults to find safe spaces to live for a longer period of time to avoid them living on the trains or bouncing from one shelter to another, the latter issue is due to the fact that they don’t feel safe or comfortable. “We’re able to offer them a respite that is affirming of who they are, that they are able to breathe and heal, and there is a six-month timeline on the program. However, it does renew if the young person needs more time,” Roque says. “The specific goal is actually self care for the young person to engage in medical services, mental health services, and the beginning of case management. We want them to take care of themselves.”
'I Put a Spell on You' cast member performs on stageSHAWN SALLEY
LaLa Zannell, Gentili’s sister who is also an activist and community leader, tells Out that the home is the perfect way to continue her legacy. “Cecilia dedicated her life to creating safety, love, and belonging for trans and gender-nonconforming people, and this space embodies that same mission. Casa Cecilia stands as a living testament to her unwavering advocacy — a home where people can find stability, healing, and hope. Through this project, we ensure her light continues to guide and protect those she fought for,” she says. “Opening Casa Cecilia is not only a celebration of her life, but a continuation of her vision: to create a world where everyone, especially those most marginalized, can live and thrive without fear.”
One of the ways that the Ali Forney Center can carry on with providing the necessary resources is through the donations it receives. Right in time for the Halloween season, Jay Armstrong Johnson put on his annual “I Put a Spell On You” performance, where he and his two best friends dress up as the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus and staged an electrifying show that benefits the Ali Forney Center. Each year, they are able to get a few big names to donate their time. And this year, they were able to get Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose, Broadway star Jinkx Monsoon, and RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Lagoona Bloo as some of the special guest appearances.
This year marked the event’s 10th anniversary that was made possible by hundreds of volunteers. And with this performance, they were able to raise over $310,000 for the organization. “I was the beneficiary of philanthropy,” Johnson says. “Growing up, I had a church community and theater community in the 90s and early 2000s Texas where the arts were not necessarily celebrated and yet I still had a community that did celebrate me and that gave me opportunities that I would not have had otherwise.”
'I Put a Spell on You' cast members perform on stageSHAWN SALLEY
Both the Ali Forney Center and the “I Put a Spell on You” event share the same intention of letting young queer people act their age and get back to kids just being kids. Johnson started this event as a small cabaret show at the venue 54 Below and it’s since ballooned into a full on production of creatives, most of whom are Johnson’s friends from home, working together to raise money for queer youth.
“There’s a small community of Dallas/Fort Worth artists that always come back every year and that was why I started it, just because I wanted to play with my friends and create theater together and experience that thing that we felt as children in New York City,” he says. “I just kept being told over the years that the queer joy that we’re creating is palpable and that it’s touched people, so for it to be with the Ali Forney Center, it means a lot to me.”
Learn more about the Ali Forney Center (and donate!) at aliforneycenter.org.
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