[Tsa] Fwd: SRLP Victory in work with OCFS!

[Julian Padilla]

> Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP) is thrilled to share the news that  
> after many months of work on the part of SRLP and other  
> organizations, the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS)  
> has issued a new policy regarding Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,  
> Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) youth.  OCFS is the state-wide  
> agency with control over juvenile justice facilities.  This new  
> policy is a great victory!  For the first time, official OCFS  
> policy prohibits discrimination against youth on the basis of  
> actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender expression, or  
> gender identity.  We also succeeded in making major changes to OCFS  
> guidelines for good childcare practices for LGBTQ youth, which  
> indicates a huge shift in policy and practice in the agency.  For  
> example, OCFS now, for the first time, has agreed that all youth in  
> their custody will be referred to by their preferred name and  
> pronoun, will be allowed to choose whether to wear “male” or  
> “female” underwear, and will be free from discipline for choices  
> about shaving or hair style that do not match gender norms.  OCFS  
> has also agreed to make decisions about hormones for transgender  
> youth based on accepted standards of care and the best interests of  
> the youth.
>
>
>
> We had an excellent experience working with OCFS Commissioner  
> Gladys Carrión and her staff, as well as the many other advocates  
> and service providers who have helped make this a reality  
> (including Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Juvenile  
> Justice Coalition of the Correctional Association, the Peter  
> Cicchino Youth Project of the Urban Justice Center, and the  
> Juvenile Rights Division of the Legal Aid Society).
>
>
>
> This victory builds on our earlier litigation in Rodriguez v.  
> Johnson and our long term policy, direct services, and public  
> education work involving issues of out-of-home trans and gender  
> nonconforming youth.  We look forward to continuing to work closely  
> with OCFS to ensure that youth are informed of their rights, that  
> staff are appropriately trained on how to work with transgender and  
> gender nonconforming youth, and that the policy is put into  
> practice in a meaningful and appropriate way.
>
>
>
> Thanks to all of our supporters and allies who continue to make  
> this important work possible!
>
>
>
> In Solidarity,
>
> SRLP Staff
>
>
>
> =================================================
> If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to support the  
> work of SRLP please visit:
> <http://www.srlp.org/index.php?sec=09A&page=donate>.
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Sylvia Rivera Law Project
> http://www.srlp.org
>
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