Governor Signs Bill to Provide More Supportive Homes to LGBT Foster Youth

(Sacramento) An Equality California-sponsored bill designed to make foster care safer and more supportive for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth was signed into law last night by Governor Jerry Brown. Assembly Bill 1856, authored by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano and co-sponsored by the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, will require existing training programs for foster youth caregivers to include information related to cultural competency and best practices for serving LGBT young people. The bill was approved by the Assembly by a 49-25 bipartisan vote, and the Senate by a vote of 23-13. The new law will go into effect on January 1, 2013.

“We applaud the Governor’s signature on this bill to help ensure that LGBT young people, who are among the most vulnerable children in our state’s child welfare system, have the security and comfort they deserve,” said Clarissa Filgioun, Equality California Board President. “We are also grateful to Assemblymember Tom Ammiano for his leadership and hard work to pass this important update to out-of-home care guidelines.”

LGBT youth are disproportionately targeted for harassment and discrimination in the foster care system. This abuse is perpetrated not only by youth peers, but in some cases by facility staff, foster parents, and other service providers. When the abuse is between peers, the harassment has too often been condoned by facility staff or gone unaddressed.

“It is crucial that foster homes are supportive places for youth to grow and learn safely but LGBT youth are disproportionately targeted for harassment and discrimination in the foster care system." said AB 1856 author Assembly Member Tom Ammiano. "AB 1856 will ensure that foster care providers have the training necessary to address the wide range of issues specific to LGBT youth.”

Aside from physical and verbal abuse or harassment, instances of unlawful discrimination against LGBT youth in foster care include confiscating LGBT supportive materials or prohibiting LGBT youth from receiving LGBT supportive services offered through LGBT youth groups or resource centers. There are also many cases of caregivers or service providers refusing to use the youth’s requested name or pronoun, prohibiting the youth from wearing clothing consistent with their gender identity, or actively trying to change the youth’s sexual orientation or gender identity with so-called “reparative” or “conversion” counseling. While many of these instances of unlawful discrimination are prohibited under existing law, additional steps must be taken to educate caregivers on both the law and best practices to improve this situation.

Research indicates that unsafe and unsupportive foster home environments significantly contribute to homelessness among LGBT youth. In a study of 400 LGBT homeless youth in San Diego, 64% reported that they ran away from at least one out-of-home placement due to harassment or assault, including sexual assault. A New York joint Task Force on Child Welfare and Safety reported that 70% of the LGBT youth study participants experienced physical violence in foster care and 56% said that they lived on the streets at times because they felt it was safer than living in group or foster homes.

To learn more about Equality California-sponsored legislation, visitwww.eqca.org/legislation

Equality California (EQCA) is the largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender advocacy organization in California. Over the past decade, Equality California has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to a state with some of the most comprehensive human rights protections in the nation. Equality California has partnered with legislators to successfully sponsor more than 85 pieces of pro-equality legislation. EQCA continues to advance equality through legislative advocacy, electoral work, public education and community empowerment. www.eqca.org

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Clergy Call: ready to say goodbye to Prop 8?

UPDATE & CLERGY CALL: CALLING CLERGY TO JOIN US WHEN/IF WE GET THE NEWS THAT PROP 8 IS NO MORE!

From :  Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry

TIME: 5PM to 9PM
PLACE: Castro & Market, San Francisco (Harvey Milk Plaza)
DATE: On the day the Supreme Court announces its decision if it declines to hear further appeals of the Prop. 8 case.
WHO: The community is invited, BUT we want religious leaders to especially be present with their clerical wear on stage, ready for media interviews and ready to symbolically marry couples that day.  If you do not want to give an interview or marry couples, you do not have to.  Please join us to show solidarity for the end of this long struggle in our state.


What day will that be?  

Here’s how it works:
The U.S. Supreme Court is currently considering whether or not to hear the Proposition 8 case.  As soon as Monday, October 1, the Court could decide NOT to hear the case.  IF that happens, Prop 8 will finally be over and the freedom to marry for all will be restored in California.  Marriages for same-sex couples would begin very soon after the Court’s decision (although the exact timing is not known).

Of course, the Supreme Court could also decide to hear the case, which would mean that a final decision on Prop 8 would likely not come until June 21013.  BUT, if the Supreme Court decides NOT to hear the case, the Court will make an announcement at approximately 6:30 am Pacific Time.  ON THAT DAY, we will celebrate the return of marriage equality in our state!

The end of Prop 8 and the return of marriage equality in California is a HUGE victory for us all and an inspiration for us to re-energize our efforts to achieve full equality nationwide!

There are a couple of requests I would like to ask of you –
1) Share this email message with other leaders and congregants so they are aware of this plan of action.

2) Reply to this email if you are able to be present and/or would like to participate in marrying couples. I will then send to you talking points and further details so you will be prepared.

3) If you know of couples who are not currently legally married, but would like to be, please let me know who they are.  I would then like to contact them to see if they would be willing to interviewed by media.  If you would like to marry the couple, also let me know so that the media can capture your symbolic ceremony.

4) Plan to participate in our public witness campaign called “Breakthrough to Love”.  We are encouraging congregations throughout California to pledge to either preach or teach on LGBT equality (marriage, anti-bullying, inclusion/welcome in our worship, etc.) the weekend of February 8 – 10.  Sign up to pledge at http://breakthroughtolove.org/

5) Lastly, WHEN marriage is restored in California, we will need a team of religious leaders of various traditions who would be willing to participate in a public education campaign geared towards clergy who will undoubtedly have a difficult time with this decision and need some guidance.


Roland

_________________________________________________________________________________________
Rev. Roland Stringfellow
Director of Ministerial Outreach
Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry
Pacific School of Religion
1798 Scenic Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94709

Bishop Christopher Senyonjo honored with Clinton Global Citizen Award for Support of LGBT Rights

Bishop Christopher Senyonjo of Kampala, Uganda, will receive a Clinton Global Citizen Award at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting this evening for his outstanding work to support the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people through the St. Paul's Reconciliation and Equality Centre in Kampala.   The award recognizes Bishop Senyonjo's work in promoting the equal rights of LGBT people in Uganda and across more than 70 countries where being LGBT is illegal and often persecuted. 


"I am deeply honored to receive this award and President Clinton has moved the world one step closer to a place where it should no longer be illegal to love someone or persecute those of us who want to provide pastoral care and support."
The Rev. Canon Albert Ogle, President of the St. Paul's Foundation has gathered financial support from donors like the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Ford Foundation is with the bishop today. "President Clinton is honoring a great man who has helped many of us realize the extent of homophobia in our churches and cultures and the profound economic and psychological damage it does to millions of human beings every day."


Over the past decade Bishop Senyonjo has recognized that the rights of LGBT people are tightly linked to a range of development challenges, including women's rights, gender equality, economic empowerment, HIV/AIDS prevention and employment. 
This is the first time CGI has recognized leadership on LGBT issues, and symbolizes the increasing need to mainstream LGBT rights as an important dimension of human rights and economic empowerment. 


Support for the work of the Foundation may be made here: http://stpaulsfoundation.com/Donate.html. More information about the global importance of this award can be found here or by contacting The Rev. Canon Albert Ogle at  949 338 8830.

About the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to create and implement innovative solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 150 heads of state, 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date CGI members have made more than 2,100 commitments, which are already improving the lives of nearly 400 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued at $69.2 billion.

CGI also convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative solutions to economic recovery in the United States, and CGI University (CGI U), which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their community or around the world. For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at www.facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.