Introduction Lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning, gender nonconforming, and transgender (LGBTQI) youth are well documented as disproportionally represented in the juvenile justice system. These disparities, coupled with the high visibility of LGBTQI youth as leaders amongst prominent campaigns to abolish the youth prison model, emphasize the importance of examining the concerns facing LGBTQI youth involved in the prison abolition movement, and the strengths they bring to the effort. This...
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NCLR partners with the Pacific Juvenile Defense Center on “COVID-19 and California’s Detained Youth: Vulnerable and Overlooked.” Published in the California Journal of Politics and Policy, this article describes the unique dangers posed by COVID-19 to incarcerated youth in county-run detention facilities in California. It delves into the efforts of advocates to urge government stakeholders to implement health and safety protocols, and draws on the experience of the past year and a half to...
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, in collaboration with legal and education experts at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the National Association of School Psychologists, and the National Education Association, released Advocating for LGBTQ Students with Disabilities, a powerful new resource that provides educators and parents an overview of the rights of LGBTQ students with disabilities, as well as actionable recommendations on how to best support them. It includes a blueprint...
A State-by-state overview of relationship recognition. View PDF
LGBTQ individuals disproportionately interact with the criminal justice system and are often the victims of this cash bail system. LGBTQ people are more likely to be assessed a higher bail than others because they are seen as greater flight risks and more likely to be a danger to the community based on stereotypes and perceptions that LGBTQ people are not connected to families or communities. Read more
Picking an attorney can be difficult if you have not worked with an attorney before, or do not often work with attorneys. If possible, you should look for an attorney that you are comfortable working with. The attorney should understand the legal issues you face, and be LGBT-friendly. You should also find out ahead of time what the attorney will charge you for their services and how they will handle disagreements and conflicts between you. Read our guide: How to Pick an Attorney...
NCLR’s report to the Human Rights Council of the United Nations regarding the United States’ compliance with its human rights obligations in the area of the family relationships of LGBTQ people and conversion therapy. Download PDF
This comprehensive practice guide, written by NCLR Youth Project Director Shannan Wilber for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, provides juvenile justice agencies the tools to meet their obligation to ensure the safety and well-being of LGBTQ youth in their care. The guide covers a broad range of topics, including nondiscrimination policies, staff training, talking with LGBTQ youth about sexuality and gender, and making individualized classification and housing decisions. Download
This publication provides guidelines for families and attorneys for protecting parent-child relationships and obtaining legal recognition of family ties. Download PDF
This groundbreaking new publication is a product of the Putting Pride into Practice Project, a project of Family Builders by Adoption to help child welfare professionals better serve LGBTQ children and youth in foster care. These guidelines provide much-needed direction to child welfare agencies on how best to collect, record, and disclose information on the sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression of children and youth in foster care. Developed in partnership with Legal...