US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York has reintroduced The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act, which would bar federally-funded welfare agencies from discriminating against youth and families on the basis of religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.
The legislation, which was reintroduced on June 20, would also require the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to create a national resource center for LGBTQ+ youth to promote the safety, stability, well-being, and family placement of LGBTQ youth through training, technical assistance, actions, and guidance. The center would strive to improve LGBTQ cultural competency, promote the provision of child welfare services to meet the needs of LGBTQ youth and their families, collect data on the sexual orientation and gender identity of youth in the child welfare system, and more, according to the bill’s text.
