 Major sponsors for Ableton on Air include Green Mountain Support Services, empowering people with disabilities to live home in the community, Washington County Mental Health, where hope and support come together. Media sponsors for Ableton on Air include Park Chester Times, Muslim Community Report, WWW, this is the Bronx dot info, Associated Press Media Editors, New York Power Online Newspaper, U.S. Press Corps Domestic and International, Anchor FM and Spotify. Partners for Ableton on Air include the HOD of New York and New England, where everyone belongs, the Orthodox Union, the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired of Vermont, the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Central Vermont Habitat for Humanity, and Montpelier Sustainable Coalition, Montefiore Medical Center of the Bronx, Roosevelt Kennedy Center of Bronx, New York, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of the Bronx, Ableton on Air has been seen in the following publications, Park Chester Times, WWW, this is the Bronx dot com, New York Power Online Newspaper, Muslim Community Report, WWW dot H dot com, and the Montpelier Bridge. Ableton on Air is part of the following organizations, the National Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences, Boston, New England Chapter, and the Society of Professional Journalists. Welcome to this edition of Ableton on Air, the one and only program that focuses on the needs, concerns, and achievements of the Divinely Able. I'm your host, Lauren Seiler. Sorry that Arlene is not here today, but on this topic today we will focus on housing and people with special needs, and the LGBTQS community in New York City and beyond. With us to discuss this and many important topics within that community is Reverend Carmen Hernandez, Chairman and President of the LGBTQS Chamber of Commerce of New York City, and before we do that, we would like to say thank you to our sponsors, Washington County Mental Health, Green Mountain Support Services, and many, many, many others. Thank you to all who support Ableton on Air. Welcome Carmen to Ableton on Air. Thank you for joining us. Let's get started. What is your Chamber of Commerce and how does it work within your community? Well, it's about small businesses, the LGBTQS. We've got gay and straight Chamber, and what we do, we power them in their business and achieve whatever goals that they want to achieve. That's what we do. We help them and they help each other. They have to join a membership, and that membership, you know, all the members get connected with each other, and we do workshops, we do events, and so on and so on. Okay, so explain to me what has been going on, because I've been following what you guys are doing for many years, both in the Bronx and now I'm here in Vermont. What exactly has been going on with housing and people with disabilities? Let's start there. I know that's a big topic that you do cover and you do help people. What exactly is happening? Housing for people with special needs is a very big, huge topic, especially in the Bronx. Yeah. You know, you try to do the fight against the religious people, not the people that are Christian that understand and accept. It's the religious folks that they just live in the old time and they stuck there, and that's what they are, except the LGBTQS community, and that's the fight we have here to make sure my job is to make sure that we have a voice and that all these businesses that are LGBTQS can function and be accepted like any other business in New York City, and especially in the Bronx. So, but explain a little bit now there's a difference between New York City housing and then also state housing and rural housing. See, here in Vermont, we're in rural housing. So, from what I understand it's often the same part of money, but New York City housing has too many chiefs or too many people handling things and they don't handle just one thing, they handle a lot. So, I mean, you have, and these are horrible conditions for people with disabilities. Ceilings are falling down, rats, mice, no heat, no hot water. I mean, it runs the gambit. So, we understand here, labeled it on air, we understand that you have gone or a molecular analysis has been helping you from WPIX, but what exactly have you been doing to help people at NYCHA or the constituents there? Well, besides that I'm the president of the Chamber. I'm also the TA president, tenants association president. We have our own corporation, which is 1471-73 Watson Avenue. That's our development's name. So, what happened is the office management is the problem. The people of office management is not doing the job correctly. They're not addressing the needs of the tenants. This is a big issue, a problem that I've been going through myself. I've been bullied by them in such a way. I mean, they robbed my community room full-time. This is our whole office manager responsible because you have to set your employees and organize. I never saw a thing like this in my life that a person that is a manager don't know how to manage. And it's not a people person. She's a bully. She's very disrespectful for us tenants. And, you know, she thinks we, you know, she even, she's Puerto Rican and she tells another Puerto Rican, I don't know how you people are. You know, what kind of thing is that? You know. You're humble abode or where a person lives, especially when it comes to people with special needs and elderly. You need certain services. And when you're not getting them, you know, I mean, it's, I mean, it's not about passing fault, but if New York and, for example, if America is the richest country in the world, and we are the richest country in the world, right? We spend more money on guns and on the Army, Navy and Air Force than we do on our people who need services. I mean, food, their hunger is a big problem. Housing is a big problem. Transportation is a big problem for people with disabilities. The MTA is one of the most, is the worst transportation system in the five boroughs I ever saw in my life. In the world. Exactly. There's other countries that are disability-able that make it easy for a disabled person to be independent and go on these trains. I get anxiety. I cannot use the train for the life of me because it's not just stable-friendly. And even my school got stuck one time and I was like, hell no, I'm not taking this train again. So you're a woman of the cloth. You help the community if you don't mind me putting this out there, you're a person that has overcome your challenges. So what exactly, so people can know about you and what you've done, what's some advice that you can give our viewers for those that have challenges and what challenges have you overcome so people can know about that, your story. So I'm going to blush you, but you know I'm a big fan of yours and when I see you, you make me look like a wuss but not complaining on my illness. And it's seeing people that has a mentor that is someone that you admire that gives you the strength, right? And you're giving me the strength, Lawrence, to go on and fight. If he could do it, I could do it. And that's how I work. That's how I do. I've been blessed with meeting you and doing things with you it's been an honor of mine and I think it's my mentor, people that guide me and take me to, you know, give me the strength that I need because we all need that. We all need somebody to help us when we're down. So I thank Lawrence and I want to say publicly you're an amazing human being and I'm so honored to be your friend. Thank you, thank you. So explain a little bit more about the services of your chamber and the services that you guys provide. Well, we do a partner with the SBA, Small Business Administration. Right now we're working on partnering with the Cooney College in Brooklyn College and we're going to do a workshop there coming out that we are opening up to connect, you know, in person. So we're going to start doing work shall I help them get certification they could do contract with corporate company and things like that. That's what we do. We empower small businesses how to achieve and do their business right. During the pandemic it hit a lot of agencies for people with special needs. How was your and I know everything is mainly zoom now a lot of times because of the pandemic how has your agency been pinpointed affected during the pandemic and how have you been able to persevere from that and help people in your community? Well, it's been hard for all of us even our chamber we survived by membership and I haven't charged my members at all because it's hard on them. We have restaurants that lost their business you know and some restaurant tours some people that we know passed away Joe as a matter of fact one of the biggest restaurant yeah my godfather Joe that was hard on me not able to be there and and just more him and that's the saddest thing in my life that I will maybe it was best just remember him in the good time you know I take it that way now now explain how can I put this so so let's go into some of the things that have been happening you know bullying around the LGBTQS community recently they just passed a law in Florida about you know youth say gay about that what is your take on you know not saying the word gay or you know bullying around people with this Lawrence this is about religious folks and this is a problem you should not by the constitution religion and politician doesn't work you cannot put your personal responsibility on people so why are you doing it if you complain about the LGBT people because we want a life normal like anybody else give us the respect they are decent LGBT young people that are going to school and college that their own kids are not doing because they got privileges but these kids struggle to stay in school and make something out of themselves they deserve it we are decent human being we have to continue the fight they want to bring back the old days and you have to wake up the old days you are losing you cannot make Florida a third world country like Puerto Rico that is what we believe in the statehood in my mother's honor we are going to fight until we make Puerto Rico a statehood we are not going to allow communist or socialist people because they want to control it's all about controlling Lawrence when you want to control a community or people or nation they go beyond to lie to people to see people these are things that we soldiers of God because I'm a woman of God I'm a youth community pastor and I don't throw my religion on anybody I throw my faith in Jesus Christ that he loves me he loves you so that's what I live thank God I live with with humanity and I live being true to myself and true with others I cannot be a Christian and be something that I'm not behind the closed doors I am the same person in my home as I am the same person when I walked out of my house so I didn't get to you being a pastor Harvey Milk who was a politician back in the 1970s he brought out LGBT LGBT issues and he fought for he tried to fight for you know the rights of LGBTQ situations can you talk more about the advocacy of your work and then let's bring him into it because he was big at that time he was smart he was a smart guy he knew the suffering that we were going through until you know the suffering of the LGBT community and he said you know what let me run for office to make change and I think he's the very first unless somebody is hiding he's the first LGBT person that went out there as a gay man and won they tried to silence him they tried to silence him just like they tried to silence me too so I just live by my difference is that I have faith in God just like that and that God favored me and that's something that to this day I praise the Lord that he guides me he protects me I sing angels watching over me and I have a lot of angels I got my mom who died three years ago and I have my grandmother and Joe all those angels are watching me and I truly believe that okay so talk about you being a youth pastor because during the holidays you give food away you give toys away you have these drives and the community yell how has your work as a youth pastor carried over to the community you serve? yeah I was on day on October 11, 1997 that's a very long long time and what I do is when you were you know I was a child that didn't have a child so I know when my community kids needed one day to escape and have a good time and encourage them to stay in school because that was my goal is to encourage them to stay in school no matter what you go through and I thank God that a lot of those kids made it high school and college so it was work because sometimes you ask yourself if I'm doing the right thing because you sacrifice your whole life 40 plus years community work I've done community all my life and it was everything is worth it every sacrifice, every tears every scratch in your head and even getting upset because sometimes people press my pistol button don't press my pistol button but I praise the Lord that these kids they've done good and I'm very proud of that work because I deal with street kids so that's my calling I got that calling to deal with troubled teenagers now why I'm going to ask you about that so it's LGBTQS why or how has it changed or how has the community changed with the community you serve so it's transgender and queer why the changes in the names or how has the community changed such that it expanded can you explain a little bit more about the history of the LGBTQ I love the transgender community I could say all my life I remember a transgender who was a good friend of my mom and his name was Petsy like a soda and she was very a woman that was very humble she looked out for my mom I remember her very well and I fell in love with the transgender community and I fight every breath in my life to make sure that the transgender get the same opportunity like in the work field I've been working on that behind the scenes making sure that they could get jobs in the work field instead of prostituting themselves because they are professional transgender with college degree that don't need to sell their body because they need to bring food to the table and this is something that is dear to my heart and I will not stop fighting until I make sure that the policies change and that they could hire transgender to have a normal go ahead job like anybody else these don't make sure to get a voice and they are respected and but now years ago there used to be a lot of bullying around the around the LGBTQ community as far as in terms of the 70s and 80s they used to call them it's a horrible phrase gay bashings has that has that changed as far as not people that are LGBTQ being bullied bullying is a bad thing especially around people with disabilities but has that changed have laws changed against that more so now than before well we need to every person in wherever you live whatever job you have we have to make the effort to get respect and respect our LGBT like we spoke previously in this Zoom meeting is that we all have to come together gay and straight that's what my chamber is called straight in it because it takes both community to accept each other this chamber has been the only chamber that's been out there in a straight atmosphere in business like expo we've been the only LGBT when I see an LGBT person come through that door to empower themselves in business I feel we've done our job we've done a great job advocacy we have a voice and be treated like anybody else so I want to thank all those expo's that we are partnered with like the small businesses expo that have been very awesome with us a great partnership and also another Manhattan college also here that I partnered with we are Zobro and Zobro does expo so we've done partnership with the expo with them as well so that's how you get your respect by everybody doing their part and making sure that we don't get bullied that every student and every community in the LGBT in the Bronx and in New York City would not feel being bullied though it has calmed down a little but we still got a lot of work to do we cannot fall asleep so I want to thank my congressman my congressman Richie Torres who's been an advocacy for the LGBT community and so he's been also an advocacy helping us here in NYCHA as well so I want to give him a shout out for the great work that he's doing for us here have your organization helped you know hopefully they don't overturn this but you know they passed they passed gay marriage which is a good thing has your organization or you as a pastor have you helped states with the gay marriage laws and you know I was the first Latina LGBT who got married in the New York State and in the Bronx so we fought a lot to make sure that we have a voice and respect it and have the privilege to get married like anybody else so I'm very proud of that as well you know do you see that obviously like I said we hope not but you don't see that or certain states overturning that law or is that law to stay is that going to change at all this is New York City we fight hard we're hard and we fight to the end so I don't see them overturning New York maybe other countries like North Carolina that they're very religious because they don't in Israel for example we have family in Israel they don't view gay marriage they don't like it or they don't you know they're religious reason but you know man has a say but God has the power so it's God that has the last word you know human are conditioned people love you with condition but God loves us uncondition and when you learn that word unconditioned mean no matter who you are what you are, where you've been what you have done in life when you repent and you come to the Lord and he loves you unconditioned no matter who you are he loves us and you can you know the comparison of people destroyed but God blesses us this is his land he created fear and he created human being so you know what he has the last word not the people okay so is there anything that touch on through the chamber or through your work that you would like to talk about on the show yes I do thank you we are helping the restaurant it's called bring back bold drink this is something to help the restaurant because of the pandemic they lost so much and this is a law that we want them to pass and again it's called bring back drinks to go we we're championing with the New York City restaurant and Latino restaurant organizations so we're with them I want to say that thank you Lawrence for this platform to support them and also we're having a trip I became the first woman Latina LGBT to sit as the chairwoman of the New York State Coalition Hispanic Chamber of Commons and my first role we already getting an office we were already working I want to thank Frank Gonzalez from Manhattan he's a liaison for Manhattan district that deals with small businesses and we are partnership so at least it's a start and we're going we're going to Colombia we're going on April 30 to help women that in domestic violence they do products like rice and things like that so we're going over there to support them as well we're going to do it all the Caribbean Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico and other places that women have really been domestic violence even men has been really bully domestic violence in such a way that women are being attacked that's another issue in another platform but women has been attacked by men that still again living those old time that women don't have a voice and we need to continue the fight and I ask all the women don't give up you know come out of that abuse and you're going to be okay you're going to be okay because I'm okay my mother survived it so I survived it with her so I know first hand what is to be in a domestic violent relationship okay so again the New York City LGBTQS Chamber of Commerce and come in Reverend Carmen Hernandez is a youth pastor who's been championing these these these things and helping the community out so tell us your website and where people can reach you yeah they could do two things they could google my name Rev Carmen Hernandez and they see all my websites and pages my website www.nyclgbtqsc.com okay okay and yeah so for more information on the the New York City LGBTQS Chamber of Commerce you can go to www.nyclgbtqsc.com www.nyclgbtqsc.com www.nyclgbtqsc.com www.nyclgbtqsc.com www.nyclgbtqsc.com www.nyclgbtqsc.com www.nyclgbtqsc.com www.nyclgbtqsc.com www.nyclgbtqsc.com Reverend Carmen Hernandez what's the future of your Chamber of Commerce and the Bronx and beyond well our future is get back again and continue the work and and now that everything a lot of it is in in a computer we hope to do it in person because that's much better I missed the touch and the hugs and and and seeing people eye to eye is very important so we're working on getting that done and just take one step at a time you know not enough and hopefully we'll work it from there and you know let's partner together and work together to make things happen so you have us as a you have us as a constant partner okay yeah so what last thing what are the misconceptions in your opinion what are the misconceptions around people with special needs when people first meet them well being myself you know a person with disability it's been a challenge you know like for instance my in my motorized scooter now is being a problem for me to get it so I have and you know disabled to not go around and do my chores and you know have independence you know to go outside get some fresh air has been very difficult for me right now these health insurance is really attacking people with disability that prove that they do need it so I don't get it how they now blocking a lot of stuff for us not to get so and it's happening in New York it's not only other state but they hitting New York as well they're making a lot of cuts and it's very difficult it's something that is another fight I'll be going right now I mentioned you but I'll be going to DC on this following Tuesday with the United States Spanish Chamber of Commons that they do every year that we meet and follow up with our politician so I'm ready having notes ready to sit with them and and see what we could do as you know leaders of our community because I have many hats I do a lot of stuff so let's see what happens on Tuesday I'm hoping to come with something positive something to take with me to help our community in the Bronx and in New York City okay well we would like to thank you again for joining us on this edition of Ableton on Air again for more information on the LGBTQS Chamber of Commerce you can go to www.nyclgbdqscc.com that website once again is www.nyclgbdqscc.com the New York City Chamber of Commerce for you know is is extremely important for the community that you serve Carmen and for many others who serve on this to who serve this community thank you again for joining me on this edition of Ableton on Air again for more information on on Ableton on Air also you can go to www.orgamedia.net Arlene is not here today thank you to our sponsors Washington County Mental Health Green Mountain Support Services and many other partners like Reverend Carmen Hernandez from the LGBTQS Chamber of Commerce in New York City for partnering with Ableton on Air. I'm Lauren Seiler see you next time. Major sponsors for Ableton on Air include Green Mountain Support Services empowering people with disabilities to live home in the community Washington County Mental Health where hope and support come together. Media sponsors for Ableton on Air include Park Chester Times, Muslim Community Report, WWW this is the Bronx.info, Associated Press Media Editors, New York Power Online Newspaper, US Press Corps Domestic and International, Anchor FM and Spotify. Partners for Ableton on Air include Yachad of New York and New England where everyone belongs, the Orthodox Union, the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired of Vermont, the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Central Vermont Habitat for Humanity and Montpelier Sustainable Coalition. Montefere Medical Center of the Bronx, Rose of Kennedy Center of Bronx, New York, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of the Bronx. Ableton on Air has been seen in the following publications Park Chester Times, WWW this is the Bronx.com, New York Power Online Newspaper, Muslim Community Report, WWW.H.com and the Montpelier Bridge. Ableton on Air is part of the following organizations the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Boston, New England Chapter and the Society of Professional Journalists.