4 Ways to Maintain the Safety and Dignity of LGBTQ+ Youth

According to the 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, 75% of LGBTQ youth (ages 13 to 21) report experiencing discrimination based on their gender or sexual identity at least once. In that same survey, queer and trans youth reported lower rates of suicidal ideation and attempts if they had access to spaces that affirmed their gender and sexual orientation. Safety for young people must include feeling protected, valued, and equipped with the resources they need at home, in the community, and in all the spaces young people must navigate.

Our Youth Justice Board provides high school youth with fellowships to research and advocate on public policy issues that directly impact them. As young people themselves, often with lived experience of the research topic, Board members are uniquely positioned to delve into the complexities of youth experience and understanding. After conducting and analyzing a series of interviews with stakeholders and focus groups with impacted youth, Board members are recommending the following changes in four policy areas:

1) Guaranteed, Dignified Re-Entry Housing

New York City should create supportive housing for all people returning to their community from jails, prisons, or other carceral settings, particularly for trans and gender-expansive people because of the cascading effects of being both formerly incarcerated and unhoused in a transphobic society.

2) Expand Mental Health Support

All youth-serving systems should increase their capacity to meet the mental health needs of LGBTQ+ youth. Queer and trans youth face a particularly isolating form of oppression compounded by their additional identities.

3) Thinking Out of the Binary

Public schools should shift away from binary-based systems and facilities—for instance, in the design of demographics forms, bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams—to be affirming to young people of all genders.

4) Sexual Health for All

Public schools should implement a queer-affirming sex education curriculum for all young people—including trans and gender-expansive youth—so they understand their bodily autonomy, stay safe from negative consequences of sexual activity, and know how to respect the bodies and boundaries of others.

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Over the next year, the Board will continue to research this issue to refine, expand, and strengthen these recommendations for a full report. Share these recommendations on social media to spread awareness and support safety for all young people.