Young people everywhere deserve to be who they are without fear of bullying or discrimination.
But whether they’re in school hallways or in out-of-home care settings, LGBTQ+ young people are uniquely vulnerable—and often neglected and unprotected by the institutions responsible for their care.
Through our Youth in Out-Of-Home Care Project and broader advocacy efforts, Lambda Legal works to ensure that all LGBTQ+ young people are safe and free from discrimination.




Fast Facts
32 million
28%
60%

Safe Havens II: We Must Affirm and Support Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Diverse Youth in Out-of-Home Systems
Safe Havens II is a call to action from trans, nonbinary and gender diverse (“TNGD”) youth with experience in child welfare, juvenile legal, and youth homelessness systems who share their experiences and system improvement recommendations via video with co-author Elliott Hinkle, principal and co-founder of Unicorn Solutions, who also has lived experience with out-of-home systems. Safe Havens II also updates current research about TNGD and LGBQ+ youth; summarizes recent supportive and harmful federal and state law and policy developments; describes efforts to prevent system-involvement; shines a light on the needs of system-involved nonbinary youth; and captures existing measures to hold systems accountable to law and policy requirements.
Your rights
Explore our collection of resources to learn more about LGBTQ+ youth issues. Have a specific question that’s not answered below? Visit our virtual Help Desk.
August 8, 2025
Advocating for Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Diverse Youth in Foster Care: A Guide for Attorneys and Advocates for Youth
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January 17, 2024
Tips and Resources for Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth in the Child Welfare System
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December 23, 2022
Impact Magazine Winter 2023
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Latest news

August 12, 2024
LGBTQ+ Youth and Advocates Report Significant Barriers for Trans and Nonbinary Youth in Public Systems; Call for Urgent Reforms
On International Youth Day, a report reveals lack of protective policies, new harms, and little effort at preventing system involvement or meeting the needs of trans and nonbinary youth. Today, on International Youth Day, national experts alongside a group of transgender, nonbinary, and gender diverse (“TNGD”) youth with lived experience in child welfare, juvenile legal,...
August 7, 2025
Tenth Circuit Rejects Challenge From Families Against Oklahoma Ban on Best Practice Medical Care
August 1, 2025
Lawsuit Seeks to Block Discriminatory Restroom Ban in Idaho Universities
July 3, 2025
Supreme Court Will Hear Challenges to Bans on Athletic Participation by Transgender Students
Featured blog posts
August 11, 2025
Lambda Legal Cases Fighting for LGBTQ+ Student Rights
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June 11, 2025
Four Supreme Court Cases That Could Impact Our Communities
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May 1, 2025
Mahmoud v. Taylor Underscores Why Young People Need LGBTQ+ Stories in Their Classrooms
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Read more blog posts here.