April and May are among the busiest months for policy advocacy in Sacramento, California’s capital. As legislators vote on bills and make critical budget decisions, GLIDE community advocates are making their voices heard and speaking truth to power about what our communities need most.
This spring, GLIDE advocated independently, alongside community partners during End the Epidemics’ Day of Action, and with more than 100 doctors from medical schools across California across three separate advocacy days. Together, we maximized opportunities to meet with legislators and push for solutions to the urgent issues impacting our community.
On April 28, staff from GLIDE’s Center for Social Justice (CSJ) and members of the Social Justice Academy joined doctors and medical residents from across the state to advocate for expanded healthcare access. What began as a partnership between GLIDE and the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) has since grown into a statewide advocacy effort, bringing together medical schools from across California.
Members of the Social Justice Academy — all transitional-age youth (ages 18–27) — met with staff from San Francisco legislators’ offices to emphasize the importance of healthcare access and advocate for the Health4All budget and legislative priorities. Together, they called for making Medi-Cal more accessible, protecting immigrant communities’ access to care, and preventing the most harmful impacts of proposed federal cuts.
Lobbying for funding of overdose prevention programs
The following week, on May 6, CSJ staff and members of another Social Justice Academy cohort joined advocates, people with lived experience of substance use, and people living with HIV for End the Epidemics’ Day of Action. Together, they urged lawmakers to fund overdose prevention programs and critical services for people at risk of or living with HIV.
Social Justice Academy members shared powerful personal stories highlighting the urgent need for access to HIV prevention and treatment medications, as well as services that prevent overdoses and connect people to substance use treatment and support.
End the Epidemics is a statewide coalition working to eliminate health inequities and end the epidemics of HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), viral hepatitis, and overdose across California.
Meeting with State Legislators
On May 20, GLIDE CEO Dr. Gina Fromer, GLIDE Chief Communications Officer, Karl Robillard, Senior Director of the Center for Social Justice, Naeemah Charles, and Director of Public Policy, Eleana Binder went up to Sacramento to meet with San Francisco legislators and catch up with a couple of legislators who attended the Alabama Pilgrimage.
We advocated for our community’s needs – including continued access to Medi-Cal and CalFresh, despite federal cuts. We also uplifted the importance of our programs that receive state funding.
GLIDE is proud to be lifting up the voices of our staff, clients, and community members in the halls of power and positively influencing decisions that affect millions of Californians.