Testimony On Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs

Cesar Toledo
Testifying before Public Works and Operations Budget Oversight Hearing

Good afternoon, Councilmember Brianne Nadeau and members of the DC Council,

My name is Cesar Toledo, newly appointed Executive Director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, one of a few queer-led organizations in DC that provides gender-affirming housing and support services to LGBTQ+ youth. I’m here today to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation for the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs and ask for your continued support.

The Foundation was founded in 2008 to honor the life and legacy of Wanda Renita Alston, a fierce LGBTQ+ activist, feminist, and organizer. Wanda dedicated her life to fighting for justice, never backing down. Thanks to her leadership, the LGBTQ+ community secured greater representation on DC’s local governing boards and launched the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs. 

When the office was created under Mayor Williams, the mission and objectives of the office were to:

• Serve as liaison between the Mayor, government agencies, City Council, and the LGBT community

• Identify areas of need for the LGBT community

• Advise the Mayor on policy issues affecting the LGBT community and the District government

• Collect and disseminate research on the impact of public policies and legislation affecting the LGBT community and make recommendations to the Mayor regarding these policy and legislative issues

Two decades later, the office has lived up to the values it was established to uphold. The community has greatly benefited from this office’s services and leadership in the community. 

Today, it serves as the:

• Largest LGBTQ+ focused grantmaker solely focused on the District 

• Serves as the central hub for support and resources to the community. 

Just this weekend, WorldPride was hosted in DC, where we witnessed an unprecedented turnout, generated more than half a billion dollars in economic impact, had a historic increase in metro ridership, and hosted hundreds of events. As the gayest city in the world, the queer community is a powerful economic engine. 

DC has long served as a beacon of hope across the country, providing refuge for those facing anti-LGBTQ attacks. It’s because of this office and the critical resources it provides that organizations like the Wanda Alston Foundation can offer life-saving support to the community. 

Thank you for your time and allyship. 

Cesar Toledo 
Executive Director
Wanda Alston Foundation 

Cesar Toledo Testifies for LGBTQ+ Youth

DHS Budget Oversight Hearing

Today, Cesar Toledo, the Executive Director for the Wanda Alston Foundation, testified before the Committee on Human Services. His statement can be read below.

Good afternoon, Councilmember Frumin and members of the DC Council. My name is Cesar Toledo, and I was recently appointed Executive Director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, one of a few queer-led organizations in DC that provides gender-affirming housing and support services to LGBTQ+ youth. 

Since 2008, the Foundation has provided housing, support services, and pathways to economic mobility to over a hundred LGBTQ+ youth. As the rise of attacks on our LGBTQ+ youth rages across the country, DC has long served as a beacon of safety, and that legacy must be preserved.  

The facts are stark. According to the District’s most recent Point-in-Time snapshot, 40% of youth experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ+. A national survey found that more than 2 out of 5 trans people in DC have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. Lastly, at the Foundation, 99% of the youth we have served are Black or Latino.

Thanks to the support of Mayor Bowser, DC Council, the community, DHS and the Community Partnership, we operate 20 beds that are never empty. However, like many nonprofit organizations in this space, we face significant challenges. Staffing mandates and bureaucratic invoicing processes create barriers to funding. These hurdles are painfully difficult for LGBTQ+ nonprofits like ours, which are being targeted by the federal government and face declining corporate support. 

Councilmember Frumin and members of the Council, I’d love to sit down with your staff to share more about these operational hurdles and explore potential solutions. 

As you continue to debate the FY2026 Budget and Spending Plan, I strongly urge you to preserve funding for transitional youth housing and ensure that homeless LGBTQ+ youth have access to the life-saving, specialized care and support that the Wanda Alston Foundation provides.

Any cuts to this sector could result in a clinical disaster.

Thank you.
Cesar Toledo 
Executive Director
Wanda Alston Foundation