When The Agency That Is Suppose To Protect Our Children Doesn’t

In Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Philadelphia's Department of Human Services discriminates against trans-youth. In an article they say,

DHS discrimination against transgender teen alleged
By Sam Wood
Inquirer Staff Writer
Sun, Nov. 1, 2009

A transgender teenager who identifies as a girl said she was subject to constant abuse and discrimination during 18 months in the custody of Philadelphia's Department of Human Services.

At the Youth Study Center, the 16-year-old teen was placed in the boys' unit, where, she said, staff and residents harassed her despite a judge's order that she be addressed by her preferred female name and female pronouns.
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In November 2007, the teen was admitted to the Youth Study Center.
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The social worker diagnosed gender identity disorder, a condition marked by the persistent discomfort of a person's own sexual anatomy and a strong identification with the opposite sex.

The next month, Common Pleas Court Judge Abram Frank Reynolds ordered that the teen be addressed with her female name and that female pronouns be used when referring to her. He also authorized DHS to administer hormone therapy to the teen to delay puberty.

The complaint contends that staff at the Youth Study Center ignored the order and heaped abuse on her.

One staffer allegedly told her that as long as she had male genitalia, "I'm not going to call you by [her female name]." When she asked for a bra and panties, another staffer hurled an insult and refused to accommodate her.
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Though she repeatedly asked to be placed with girls, she was kept in the boys' unit, where residents threatened her, it states.

Staff allowed her to spend one night on the girls' unit. That was the only night in the custody of the Youth Study Center that she slept without fear of being harassed and abused, the complaint states.

Here in Connecticut, a trans-youth was being harassed in high school by a bully, so what did the school do to stop the harassment? Do you think that they disciplined the bully? No they didn’t, they transferred the trans-youth to a school for trouble-makers. Later, the bully was also transferred to the school for trouble-makers where he resumed his bullying of the trans-girl. The girl was forced to drop out of school and is now being home-schooled.

There is a responsibility that the government takes on when they assume custody of our children which is to provide a safe learning environment, to protect and nurture them. I feel that what was done to these children was criminal and those who harassed these children should have been punished.

Here in Connecticut the organization that helps LGBT youth is True Colors and nationally the organization that helps trans-youth is Trans-Youth Family Allies