{"id":5716,"date":"2026-04-18T14:24:04","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T14:24:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=5716"},"modified":"2026-04-18T14:24:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T14:24:04","slug":"boston-mayor-michelle-wu-distances-herself-from-wellness-perks-program-for-lgbtq-migrant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=5716","title":{"rendered":"Boston Mayor Michelle Wu distances herself from &#8216;wellness perks&#8217; program for LGBTQ migrant"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 300px 160px; gap: 2px; width: 460px; background: #eee; padding: 2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u6574\u884c\u5bbd\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876674\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 90px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876676\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u5de6\u4fa7\u7ad6\u6392 -->\r\n  <div style=\"height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876672\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"height: 500px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876680\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u6469\u5929\u697c\uff08\u548c\u5de6\u4fa7\u5b8c\u5168\u5bf9\u9f50\uff09 -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row: 3\/5; height: 750px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876678\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e6\" data-zoneid=\"5876682\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft wp-block-nypost-editor-partner-article-links\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Boston Mayor Michelle Wu\u2019s office\u00a0is denying reports\u00a0that city funds were used to support a program offering LGBTQ migrants up to $500 in \u201cwellness\u201d perks, after a local advocacy group advertised the benefits and later scaled back its description amid backlash.<\/p>\n<p>Through its program \u201cBelonging Matters,\u201d the group had planned to provide yoga, arts and other recreational services.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo funds have been distributed or directed for these purposes. This organization received a $7,500 grant through a City program to support mental health services. Those funds were not designated for and may not be used for the voucher program referenced,\u201d a spokesperson for the city told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n<p>The dispute highlights conflicting claims about what the \u201cBelonging Matters\u201d program actually offered and whether any city-backed funding was tied to those benefits, drawin<\/p>\n<p>OUTnewcomers is listed as one of 45 recipients of a larger $200,000 push to support LGBTQ communities in Boston. <\/p>\n<p>The $200,000 figure was\u00a0approved by Wu last year\u00a0as a part of the Mayor\u2019s Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement (MOLA).<\/p>\n<p>According to Boston officials, OUTnewcomers was awarded a $7,500 mini-grant allocated from the 2026 budget. <\/p>\n<p>The city has not green-lighted grant funding or cash assistance.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Boston Mayor Michelle Wu\u2019s office denies city funds backed a program offering LGBTQ migrants up to $500 in \u2018wellness\u2019 perks. <span class=\"credit\">Boston Globe via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThese investments represent our continued dedication to uplifting LGBTQ+ Bostonians by putting resources directly into the hands of trusted community organizations,\u201d Wu said\u00a0in a press release\u00a0at the time.<\/p>\n<p>The mayor\u2019s office declined to answer questions about what the $7,500 fund had originally been approved for.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0registration form\u00a0for Belonging Matters offered applicants yoga, breathwork and meditation, gym memberships, creative arts, peer support, storytelling, nature-based wellness and hair styling. <\/p>\n<p>If approved, the program promised applicants $250 to $500 in \u201cwellness allowances\u201d evaluated on a case-by-case basis.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>OUTnewcomers\u2019 \u2018Belonging Matters\u2019 program initially offered up to $500 in perks; city says its $7,500 grant was for mental health.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But the organization later described the program as offering vouchers of $50 or less, creating a discrepancy between how the initiative was initially presented and how it was later characterized.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur City of Boston-funded program is modest and need-based. It provides small vouchers of $50 or less to eligible LGBTQ+ migrants living in Boston to access limited\u00a0wellness support\u00a0such as haircuts, acupuncture, or massage,\u201d the organization said in a press release.<\/p>\n<p>The program drew scrutiny online, with critics calling it a waste of taxpayer dollars.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHanding out perks &amp; benefits like this all the while telling the tax payers of Boston you need to pay more because we have a huge shortfall in our budget,\u201d one observer\u00a0wrote in a post to X,\u00a0alluding to property tax hikes approved by the Boston City Council in 2025.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Press Release from OUTnewcomers condemning disinformation about their program for LGBTQ+ migrants in Boston.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>OUTnewcomers did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital on how many registrants are expected to join or how many have enrolled so far. <\/p>\n<p>The group\u00a0announced on Thursday\u00a0that it had temporarily suspended the program due to \u201csecurity threats.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Founded by Sal Khan, a queer journalist originally from Pakistan, OUTnewcomers describes itself as a \u201cgrassroots and volunteer-run organization based in the Greater Boston Area\u201d focused on \u201ccommunity-led advocacy, resource navigation and collective care.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The program drew online scrutiny in Boston, with OUTnewcomers later claiming it offered only $50 vouchers. <span class=\"credit\">Boston Globe via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>OUTnewcomers only recently launched its website in April, according\u00a0to a post to X\u00a0put up by the organization.<\/p>\n<p>Their website does not list a 990 form, the\u00a0required disclosure\u00a0for nonprofits that normally lays out an organization\u2019s structure, leadership and revenue.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- \u603b\u5bb9\u5668\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u5bbd908px Grid\u7d27\u51d1\u5e03\u5c40 -->\r\n<div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 728px 160px; gap:2px; width:908px; background:#eee; padding:2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u901a\u680f\u9876\u90e8\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u6a2a\u5e45 908x258 \u8de8\u6574\u884c -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; height:258px; background:#ff6b6b; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114307\" data-width=\"908\" data-height=\"258\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114307});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u7b2c\u4e8c\u901a\u680f\uff1a728\u00d790 \u901a\u680f -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; height:90px; 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funds were used to support a program&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5717,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[349],"tags":[6095,6545,6547,2537,6544,1246,6546,812,716],"class_list":["post-5716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-boston","tag-distances","tag-lgbtq","tag-mayor","tag-michelle","tag-migrant","tag-perks","tag-program","tag-wellness"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/boston-mayor-michelle-wu-speaks-125893680.jpg",1200,799,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/boston-mayor-michelle-wu-speaks-125893680-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/boston-mayor-michelle-wu-speaks-125893680-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/boston-mayor-michelle-wu-speaks-125893680-768x511.jpg",640,426,true],"large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/boston-mayor-michelle-wu-speaks-125893680-1024x682.jpg",640,426,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/boston-mayor-michelle-wu-speaks-125893680.jpg",1200,799,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/boston-mayor-michelle-wu-speaks-125893680.jpg",1200,799,false],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/boston-mayor-michelle-wu-speaks-125893680-1115x715.jpg",1115,715,true],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/boston-mayor-michelle-wu-speaks-125893680-800x500.jpg",800,500,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/boston-mayor-michelle-wu-speaks-125893680-1024x682.jpg",1024,682,true],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/boston-mayor-michelle-wu-speaks-125893680-540x340.jpg",540,340,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/boston-mayor-michelle-wu-speaks-125893680-400x250.jpg",400,250,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?author=1"},"category_info":"<a 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