Education has had a remarkable effect on the LGBTQ community in Los Angeles County. From providing training for personnel involved in the juvenile justice system to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace, access to education has been a key factor in promoting equality and acceptance. People of faith have also played an important role in working to ensure and protect the full equality of LGBTQ people. Moreover, broadening the definition of family to better reflect reality has been beneficial for LGBTQ families in particular.
Additionally, collecting data to identify the needs of LGBTQ communities and offering interpreters training in LGBTQ cultural competencies can help address discrimination faced by LGBTQ people. The Equity Project offers a training curriculum for personnel involved in the juvenile justice system on how to interact with LGBTQ youth, and includes specific training for police. With 43 percent of lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers and up to 90 percent of transgender workers experiencing discrimination or harassment at work, employment discrimination is a major issue for LGBTQ communities. One of the first and most important steps county and city executives can take to support LGBTQ equality is to create an inclusive and diverse workplace. People of faith have an essential role to play in working to ensure and protect the full equality of LGBTQ people.
The community schools program in Multnomah County (Oregon), for example, partnered with a local LGBTQ organization to provide anti-bullying training to educators and coordinate programs to promote the LGBTQ community in schools. In 2001, the city and county of San Francisco, under the leadership of its mayor, became the first major jurisdiction to eliminate exclusions that prohibited employees from accessing medically necessary transgender-specific health care under employee health care plans. Expanding the definition of family to better adapt it to reality will benefit families of many different types, and LGBTQ families in particular. Because of their proximity, city and county officials often establish close relationships with their constituents and have a strong interest in building and maintaining trust between those voters and the local government. Municipalities, from Ypsilanti, Michigan, to Los Angeles, have adopted ordinances that prohibit employment discrimination by government contractors, which could be used as a model for executive orders from other city leaders.
Federal and state laws may already require access to identification documents for LGBTQ youth who leave child welfare and juvenile justice systems, but many LGBTQ youth go unnoticed. At the local level, collecting data to identify the needs of LGBTQ communities can take several forms. While the number of refugees admitted to the United States is a decision made by the federal government, cities and counties can make these newcomers welcome in their new homes and facilitate their integration into their communities. In addition, interpreters should be offered training in LGBTQ cultural competencies to help address the discrimination faced by LGBTQ people in different walks of life. With a clear course of action, an agency can more effectively identify what actions are needed to work toward comprehensive programming for LGBTQ people.
