California Gave Millions to LGBT Causes that was Earmarked to Combat Anti-Asian Hate

California funded several organizations promoting LGBT causes under an initiative intended to provide funding to groups combatting hatred in response to a spike in anti-Asian hate crime, Public reported on Tuesday.

In several cases, portions of the $110 million allocated for the state’s Stop the Hate Program — created in response to a spike in anti-Asian hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic — went to groups promoting LGBT causes, “transgender folx” and various other issues not related to Asians, according to information Public received through a public records request. Six groups that received funding from the program did not indicate any aims related to helping Asians, the outlet reported.

“I have questions about the effectiveness of this program,” Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce president and alleged hate crime victim Carl Chan told Public. “Some of the organizations are getting millions of dollars to ‘stop [Asian American Pacific Islander] hate,’ but it doesn’t look like they’re doing anything to actually stop it. That money isn’t going where it was supposed to.”

In one case, a group called the Positive Resource Center got $620,000 to create “an anti-racism and anti-hate film that highlights the experiences of Black transgender folx through interviews,” according to Public.

California created Stop the Hate in response to Asian hate, but included funding for other forms of hate, according to the program’s website.

Anti-Asian hate crimes rose 339% in 2021 nationwide compared to 2020, a study published by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism found. San Francisco and Los Angeles both saw huge increases in Anti-Asian incidents.

“In response to the visible rise in anti-Asian hate, both locally and nationally, the California State Legislature passed a historic $165.5 million API Equity Budget in 2021 to address the rise in hate against Asian and Pacific Islander Californians,” Stop the Hate’s website states. California’s Department of Social Services (CDSS) will “administer $110 million, allocated over three years, to community organizations providing direct services to victims of hate and their families, and prevention and intervention services to tackle hate in our communities.”

TransLatin@ Coalition has received more than three million dollars in funding from the program, and strives to help Latino “Transgender and Gender nonconforming and Intersex immigrant women in Los Angeles,” according to its website.

The Oakland Asian Cultural Center received $90,000 to create an anti-racism podcast, according to Public. Other groups that received funding included ones that allegedly worked to fight anti-black racism stemming from Asians.

CDSS and Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.