LGBTQ+ youth
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Research indicates that LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to end up in the custody of the state compared to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts.
Various factors
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This disparity can be attributed to various factors such as abuse, neglect, parental addiction, rejection by parents, or fleeing from unwelcoming environments.
Child Protective Services
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However, despite the common reasons for queer youth entering the system, Texas’ Child Protective Services does not monitor the sexual orientation or gender identity of foster care youth.
Healthcare
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While state officials focus on legislation concerning transgender children’s healthcare access and the venues for drag performances, efforts to enhance training for adults responsible for transgender foster youth have been quietly delayed.
Wash their hands
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“Right now the governor and the Legislature would like nothing better than to just be able to wash their hands of everything LGBTQ-related,” said Sharon Fonvielle-Baughman, who abruptly retired as the Department of Family and Protective Services’ special investigations director last year.
Foster youth
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Transgender foster youth in Texas are currently navigating the challenges posed by the state’s conservative government.
Republican officials
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Recent years have seen Republican officials introduce numerous bills aimed at shielding children from perceived indecent behavior in public, safeguarding parental rights, and preventing what they view as liberal influence on youth.
Transgender community
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However, the transgender community in Texas argues that these efforts only serve to further isolate an already marginalized group.
Difficult task
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For transgender individuals transitioning out of the foster care system, the stigma attached to their identity exacerbates the already difficult task of establishing an independent adult life without the typical familial, financial, and social support that most young adults rely on.
Political pawns
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“Kids are not political pawns,” Asher told The Texas Tribune. “Kids should not be used to score political points, especially foster kids, because our lives are already crap.”
Challenges
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Texas has grappled with the persistent challenges of reforming a foster care system marred by issues such as overmedication, neglect, and abuse.
Judge’s ruling
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A judge’s ruling in 2015 highlighted that children in Texas’ foster system often fare worse than when they entered it, leading to ongoing federal oversight.
Unstable
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Growing up in such unstable environments heightens the likelihood of individuals ending up homeless, falling victim to human trafficking, and struggling to transition into independent adult life once they age out of foster care.
Magnified
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For transgender youth who have navigated the foster care system, these challenges are magnified.
Group homes
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Studies indicate that LGBTQ+ foster youth are more prone to residing in group homes, experiencing frequent placement changes, being hospitalized for emotional and physical reasons, and encountering mistreatment from peers and caregivers.
Culture of secrecy
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Within the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), responsible for the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth, a culture of secrecy has developed and extended to contracted organizations.
Repercussions
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Current and former DFPS employees, who chose to remain anonymous out of fear of repercussions, reveal this covert atmosphere.
Trauma
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This veil of secrecy adversely affects LGBTQ+ foster children who have already endured trauma prior to entering state care, as noted by Krystal Mehrhof, a social worker at Central Texas Youth Services specializing in homeless youth.
Hide or deny
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“You cannot come to a person who has this part of their identity that has substantially impacted their life and tell them, ‘Well we’re not going to talk about that,’” Mehrhof said. “You’re asking them to either hide or deny part of who they are.”
