Local advocacy group fears budget could be cut in half by changes in D.C.

PITTSBURGH — Sisters PGH is the oldest trans-advocacy group in the state of Pennsylvania. For more than a decade the organization has provided services for transgender people, but under the new Trump Administration, their future is more uncertain than ever. Thomas said a series of recent executive orders has placed their mission and safety in jeopardy.

“Safety is a really huge concern of mine as we roll into these next four years,” said Ciora Thomas, the Founder of Sisters PGH.

For months the organization has worked to secure funding to relocate to a more accessible Downtown location, but with just weeks until their move-in date, Thomas told us they’ve been forced to add enhanced security features.

“Something I needed to implement was bulletproof glass to the front [of the office],” Thomas said.

Those features cost additional money, and the organization is now experiencing massive cuts to its federal funding. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced that the use of federal dollars will no longer support “transgenderism.”

“It’s making me nervous about whether we can sustain that or not,” Thomas said.

Sisters PGH told Channel 11 News that without the support of federal grants their operating budget will be cut in half, impacting a critical housing initiative that could force individuals out onto the streets.

“One of those federal grants directly funds a housing program for Black trans women and girls that are experiencing homelessness,” Thomas explained.

Currently, through state, county, and philanthropy funding they are moving forward and said they will remain dedicated to supporting the most marginalized.

However, they say each day brings more uncertainty.

“This is how they [Trump Administration] started so by the end of the year; I don’t know, I don’t know, but the community has been donating,” Thomas said.

SistersPGH said they are now collecting donations to help fill in the gaps, https://www.sisterspgh.org/

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