About Carl Siciliano

Carl Siciliano is a pioneering advocate and provider for homeless LGBT youth.. His programs have been widely recognized for their quality and innovation. 

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In 2002, Siciliano founded the Ali Forney Center (AFC), which has grown to become the nation’s largest and most comprehensive housing program for homeless LGBTQ+ youth. The Ali Forney Center offers emergency housing, transitional housing, a drop-in center, a vocational/educational center and a mix of supportive services that help LGBTQ+ youth become successful, independent adults. 

In 2011, Siciliano launched the Campaign for Youth Shelter, which sought to leverage the political influence of the LGBT community to achieve a commitment from New York City to adopt a plan to increase it's youth shelter capacity to meet the need of all the city's homeless youths. This campaign was instrumental in transforming NYC's treatment of homeless youth, resulting in over 500 new beds.

In 2002, Siciliano was named by OUT Magazine as one of the 100 Outstanding Gay Achievers. In 2007 he was awarded the New York Public Library's Brooke Astor Service Award, which is given to someone who is relentless in his or her dedication to the city of New York and who has contributed substantially to its enrichment. In 2012 he was named a Champion of Change by the Obama White House.

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In 2024, Siciliano's memoir MAKING ROOM: Three Decades of Fighting for Beds, Belonging, and a Safe Place for LGBTQ Youth was published by Penguin Random House. His writings have also been published in the New York Times, Huffington Post, The Advocate, and LGBTQ Nation.
 

Today Siciliano continues to fight for the rights and empowerment of homeless LGBT youth through the growth, outreach and advocacy of the Ali Forney Center.

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Learn more about Making Room in reviews from Spirituality & Practice and National Catholic Reporter.