This pioneering new guide includes comprehensive information about your rights and the services that are available to you as you navigate the system of public and social benefits in California. Download PDF
Our Voices
AB 458, the Foster Care Non-Discrimination Act, went into effect on January 1, 2004. This law is the first of its kind in the United States to explicitly include protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth and adults involved with the foster care system. Download PDF
A state-by-state look at non-discrimination laws that explicitly protect transgender people. Download PDF
Esta nueva guía incluye información comprensiva sobre sus derechos y los servicios que están disponibles para usted mientras que navega por el sistema de prestaciones públicos y sociales en California. PDF
Hidden Injustice, published by the Equity Project, a collaboration of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Legal Services for Children, and the National Juvenile Defender Center, represents the first effort to examine the experiences of LGBTQ youth in juvenile courts across the country. Drawing from first-hand accounts of more than 50 LGBTQ youth and in-depth interviews of more than 60 juvenile justice professionals, this groundbreaking report sheds light on the numerous barriers to fair...
This bill provides a comprehensive bill of rights to protect youth in California juvenile justice facilities from discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender Identity. Download PDF
Because of the persistence of bias and discrimination against transgender people generally, the societal lack of understanding of gender and sexuality, and a distrust of difference, transgender youth are at high risk for involvement in the juvenile justice system. For many of these youth, their gender identity is relevant both to why they were arrested and to their needs once they are brought into the courtroom. This article discusses how law, policy, and legal representation are regularly...
Read how California’s SB 1441, which added sexual orientation and gender identity to the already established law that prohibits state-funded programs and/or activities from discriminating against participants, influences the LGBTQ community. Open PDF
Over the last few years, a coordinated national effort to improve the treatment of LGBTQ youth in child welfare and juvenile justice systems situation has emerged through the hard work of hundreds of advocates from around the country. This article describes some of their successes in using the legal rights of LGBTQ youth to create effective nondiscrimination policies, best practices guidelines, and other resources to support LGBTQ youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. A...
Youth in state custody, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, have federal and state constitutional and statutory rights. These rights guarantee a young person safety in their placement as well as freedom from the deprivation of other liberty interests. Knowledge of a youth’s legal rights can help providers avoid legal liability and create a safer and healthier environment for LGBTQ youth. A version of this article appears in Child Welfare (Volume 85, Issue 2), a journal...
