President Biden’s first day had big consequences for our mission to end homelessness among LGBTQ youth.
“Every person should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear, no matter who they are or whom they love.” – President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 1/20/21
True Colors United applauds the swift, decisive action taken by the Biden administration to prevent racial discrimination and discrimination against LGBTQ people – including LGBTQ youth and Black, brown and indigenous youth of color experiencing homelessness.
Shortly after being sworn into office on January 20, President Biden signed an executive order directing federal agencies to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination to the full extent of the law. At True Colors United, we’ve long advocated that enforcement of legal protections regarding sex-based discrimination must include sexual orientation and gender identity. These protections include those in the Fair Housing Act and the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, meaning that no one can be denied rental housing by a landlord, denied an FHA-insured mortgage, or denied homelessness services on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The executive order, which applies the landmark Bostock ruling by the Supreme Court to all federal agencies, signals the end of four long years of federal agencies under the Trump administration refusing to investigate civil rights violations and enforce equal protections for LGBTQ people across the United States.
“The Federal Government should pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality.” – President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 1/20/21
Additionally, President Biden signed an executive order titled Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government to (1) undo the Trump order that banned racial equity training and analysis in federal agencies and (2) to launch an administration-wide review of opportunities to advance equity for people in historically marginalized communities—including LGBTQ people. This sends a powerful message that racial and LGBTQ equity will stay on the top of President Biden’s agenda now that he’s taken the oath of office.
True Colors United is already hard at work with the new administration, identifying opportunities to partner in the effort to end LGBTQ youth homelessness. We look forward to continuing to work with them to build a future where all young people have the resources and support they need to thrive.
Our commitment to LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness.
Here’s a glimpse at the exciting work True Colors United is up to in 2021:
We hope you’ll join us in this work. Sign up today so we can keep in touch about opportunities to advance housing justice for young people.