At 24 I was homeless, living on the streets of San Francisco, addicted to meth, and on a reckless path to full-blown AIDS within a couple years. I was in and out of shelters — but mostly on the streets, I slept in parking garages, and hid in the Castro sleeping behind bushes and under overhangs. I saw the kids I ran with quickly deteriorate physically, mentally, and emotionally. I saw many close to me die from untreated AIDS, kill themselves, murdered, hospitalized at length, or go to county jail or prison.

By 32, I began to slowly put my life back together. Supervisor Scott Wiener gave me opportunities to get my life back on track. He took me, this broken and damaged formerly homeless meth addict, into his office and helped me relearn forgotten work skills, the value of structure and a routine, the importance of giving back to others, and helped set me on the path to a stable life. Much of my life today, I owe to Scott. I know many other people personally that Scott has helped both directly and indirectly. My story and path to and from homelessness is not the same as every homeless person in San Francisco, but San Francisco success stories of formerly homeless folks are far from uncommon. This City, my City, is forgiving — and there are countless opportunities to succeed, do the right thing, and give back on a daily basis.

Gary McCoy in 2007 — 8, 40 pounds below-weight and with a recent Kaposi’s Sarcoma diagnosis.

I have lived in the Tenderloin and Castro through homelessness, and most recently as a renter with my husband in Scott’s district for several years. I am heavily active in my neighborhood association, recovery community, the HIV & AIDS community, and on the San Francisco Shelter Monitoring Committee. There is a balance between providing resources and funding for supportive programs for those who want it, and enforcing laws on the books when necessary from a public safety perspective. Scott understands these challenges. I am fully supportive of a housing-first model through our emergency shelters and Navigation Centers and accompanying wrap-around services. We should not simply be managing homelessness on the streets, we should be ending it permanently by providing necessary resources such as job training, supportive housing, mental and physical health resources, and case-management.

Scott’s many accomplishments have benefited folks like me, LGBT youth, homeless and at-risk youth and adults, those struggling with alcoholism and addiction, and those in recovery from alcoholism and addiction.

Gary McCoy emcees a recovery-related fundraiser at the San Francisco LGBT Center in 2014

Scott was instrumental in the building of the San Francisco LGBT Center. He has been a strong advocate for funding of the LGBT Center, Larkin Street Youth Services, the Castro Country Club, and many other community-based organizations charged with serving the LGBT community. Scott has been the leader in City Hall to protect and expand the safety-net for low-income and homeless people living with HIV. Scott has led efforts to be sure funding of job training for homeless and formerly-homeless individuals exists. Scott is the sponsor of a ballot measure that will generate over $50-million in funding a year for permanent supportive housing and the creation of additional navigation centers.

Scott Wiener officiating Gary McCoy’s marriage to Kory Powell-McCoy on Valentine’s Day 2015 atop Corona Heights Park

These are all issues that Scott has championed for many years — not just during a campaign cycle. For that, I am supporting Scott Wiener for State Senate.

Gary McCoy • LGBT Homeless Advocate