I need you to introduce legislation that establishes sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes in our child welfare system. Right now, LGBTQ kids make up one-third of all children in foster care, and trans youth enter the system at five times the rate of the general population. They're being placed in homes where they face abuse, conversion attempts, and rejection.
The data is stark. A 2021 Trevor Project brief found that 45% of fostered trans and nonbinary youth have attempted suicide. That's three times higher than LGBTQ youth not in care. This isn't happening because foster care is inherently dangerous. It's happening because we're placing vulnerable kids in homes that reject who they are.
Our state currently lacks explicit nondiscrimination protections for gender and sexuality in child welfare. Meanwhile, at least 11 states have introduced bills allowing foster parents to refuse to affirm queer children, and Trump's November 2025 executive order explicitly permits this discrimination based on religious beliefs. You can read more about the crisis here: https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/p/150-homes-in-10-years-how-the-foster
Pass legislation that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in foster placements, requires affirming care training for caseworkers, and mandates tracking of LGBTQ youth outcomes. These kids deserve safety, not conversion attempts and abuse.
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