Emma Richter writes for the DailyMail.com about questionable government spending in a major northeastern city.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is handing out $500 vouchers to migrants so they can enjoy haircuts, massages and other self-care benefits, despite the city’s budget plunging nearly $50 million short.
Applicants who are ‘low-income, isolated queer and trans migrants, asylum seekers and refugees’ are prioritized for the ‘wellness allowance.’
The initiative, called ‘Boston Matters’, was created by OUTnewcomers, a nonprofit that advocates for LGBTQ+ migrants in Boston alongside the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement, Mass Daily News reported.
Applicants get $250 to $500 toward ‘non-clinical care’ completely funded by the city agency, which is run by the Democrat’s administration.
They can participate in activities like meditation, yoga, peer support, creative healing, acupuncture and gym memberships, as detailed in the post.
It comes as the city faces a $48.4 million deficit and teachers are faced with possible staffing cuts due to a $53 million shortfall for Boston Public Schools, according to statistics for this fiscal year.
OUTnewcomers was founded by Sal Khan, a ‘queer activist’ and drag performer who is also the organization’s executive director, according to the group’s Facebook page.
The 33-year-old, whose drag queen name is Miss Chilly Masala, also refers to himself as ‘angry brown queer,’ according to his Instagram.
Khan launched a GoFundMe fundraiser in September 2022 to help him raise money to fight his ‘legal challenges,’ the page read.
Khan explained that he left his home country of Pakistan in 2019 ‘to seek freedom and safety in Massachusetts.’
During his time in the state, Khan said he’s ‘built a life by volunteering with local organizations that support homeless women, LGBTQ+ rights, and immigrant justice.’
But on May 7, 2024, the activist said he ‘experienced a major relapse’ when he was taken into custody for resisting arrest and trespassing while riding an MBTA bus, and detained in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, he wrote.
