Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's office is denying reports that city funds were used to support a program offering LGBTQ migrants up to $500 in "wellness" perks, after a local advocacy group advertised the benefits and later scaled back its description amid backlash.
Through its program "Belonging Matters," the group had planned to provide yoga, arts and other recreational services.
"No 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," a spokesperson for the city told Fox News Digital.
The dispute highlights conflicting claims about what the "Belonging Matters" program actually offered and whether any city-backed funding was tied to those benefits, drawing scrutiny over how Boston distributes and oversees grants to outside advocacy groups.
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OUTnewcomers is listed as one of 45 recipients of a larger $200,000 push to support LGBTQ communities in Boston. The $200,000 figure was approved by Wu last year as a part of the Mayor's Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement (MOLA).
According to Boston officials, OUTnewcomers was awarded a $7,500 mini-grant allocated from the 2026 budget. The city has not green-lighted grant funding or cash assistance.
"These investments represent our continued dedication to uplifting LGBTQ+ Bostonians by putting resources directly into the hands of trusted community organizations," Wu said in a press release at the time.
The mayor's office declined to answer questions about what the $7,500 fund had originally been approved for.
The registration form for Belonging Matters offered applicants yoga, breathwork and meditation, gym memberships, creative arts, peer support, storytelling, nature-based wellness and hair styling. If approved, the program promised applicants $250 to $500 in "wellness allowances" evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
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.
"Our 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 wellness support such as haircuts, acupuncture, or massage," the organization said in a press release.
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The program drew scrutiny online, with critics calling it a waste of taxpayer dollars.
"Handing out perks & 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," one observer wrote in a post to X, alluding to property tax hikes approved by the Boston City Council in 2025.
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. The group announced on Thursday that it had temporarily suspended the program due to "security threats."
Founded by Sal Khan, a queer journalist originally from Pakistan, OUTnewcomers describes itself as a "grassroots and volunteer-run organization based in the Greater Boston Area" focused on "community-led advocacy, resource navigation and collective care."
OUTnewcomers only recently launched its website in April, according to a post to X put up by the organization.
The website does not list a 990 form, the required disclosure for nonprofits that normally lays out an organization's structure, leadership and revenue.
