Trevor Project Joins Fight for LGBTQ Foster Care Protections

The Trevor Project has joined Lambda Legal and other queer organizations to fight for protections of LGBTQ members in the foster care system. Lambda Legal submitted a brief to the Supreme Court to conduct an appeal that denies the Catholic Social Services’ heavy involvement in the foster care and adoptive system in Philadelphia. In order to handle foster care licenses and recruitment of individuals, organizations will need to work with CSS. This gives room for the CSS to denying queer couples the ability to foster. 

In May of 2018, CSS filed a lawsuit after being notified that they were not allowed to disregard Philadelphia’s anti-discriminatory laws by not giving services to queer people. This attempt was killed by the U.S Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit a year later. CSS was allowed, however, to ask for a review of the ruling. The review is set for November 4 of this year. 

Lambda Legal gave reasons as to the harm refusing service to a member of the LGBTQ community would do in their brief to the Supreme Court. They state that this is sending a negative message to queer couples as being seen as less than, providing fewer homes for youth in need, and discriminating against LGBTQ youth.

“Licensing this form of discrimination would not only hurt prospective LGBTQ parents, but it would also jeopardize the health and security of LGBTQ youth in the child welfare system by further limiting the number of potential home placements, including those who might be more likely to understand their unique needs. LGBTQ youth are overrepresented in foster care due to increased experience with family rejection and stigma.

“A broad, religious exemption to youth-serving agencies could have far-reaching and dangerous consequences, including the denial of LGBTQ-affirming health care or the potential subjection of LGBTQ youth to the discredited practice of conversion therapy—both of which are detrimental to LGBTQ youth mental health,” says Sam Brinton, the vice president of the Trevor Project’s Advocacy and Government Affairs.

Among the Trevor Project’s support for Lambda Legal, two organizations from Colorado also joined the team, Colorado Springs queer organization Inside Out Youth Services and Boulder’s Out Boulder County.