FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | June 20, 2005

Over 400 to Gather for Groundbreaking Event On the Needs of LGBT Youth in Foster Care

"Foster care should be a safe experience for all youth, but LGBT youth all too often face isolation, harassment, discrimination, and even violence because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,"

(San Francisco, CA, June 20, 2005 ) — On June 21st, 2005, the Santa Clara County Department of Family and Children Services will host a groundbreaking gathering of over 30 different organizations from San Jose, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, and Oakland who will provide information and resources concerning lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth in foster care. Over 400 social workers, foster parents, youth and other providers involved in the provision of foster care are expected to attend "Many Faces/One Community." The Gay Pride Resource Faire will take place from 10 AM - 3 PM at the Social Services Agency Auditorium, 333 West Julian Street in San Jose. Event sponsors are the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Employee's Committee and the Legislative & Policy Committee of the Santa Clara County Child Abuse Council.

"Foster care should be a safe experience for all youth, but LGBT youth all too often face isolation, harassment, discrimination, and even violence because of their sexual orientation or gender identity," explains Jody Marksamer, an Equal Justice Works Attorney Fellow at the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). Marksamer leads a project at NCLR that is working to address the needs of LGBT youth in foster care, group homes, and the juvenile justice system through direct litigation, technical assistance, public education, and legislative advocacy.

According to Marksamer, "California is the only state in the country with a law that explicitly protects youth in foster care from discrimination and harassment based on their sexual orientation or gender identity."

Since AB 458 -- the California Foster Care Nondiscrimination Act -- went into effect last year, NCLR, the Out of Home Youth Advocacy Council (OHYAC), and the Los Angeles Task Force to End Homophobia have begun training social workers and other providers across the state on their responsibilities under this law. NCLR, in collaboration with OHYAC and the California Youth Connection, has produced a Know Your Rights Guide (pdf) to help LGBT youth in the foster care system understand their right to be free from harassment and discrimination.

"While I was in foster care, most people just did not understand me," said Captain Young, a 19-year-old former foster youth. "Everyone was always forcing me to dress like a girl and do my hair and wear make-up; I just wanted to be who I was. Group home workers would tell me that I was going to hell. I even got kicked out of placements. I am so happy to be teaching other youth that they don't deserve to be treated like this and educating social workers on what they should be doing." Young is an active member of the OHYAC speakers bureau.

OHYAC is a San Francisco Bay Area collaborative project of Family Builders by Adoption, Legal Services for Children, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights that is working to improve care and outcomes for LGBT youth and families involved in the foster care system. Both OHYAC and NCLR will have a booth at the Faire.