Kentucky Youth Law Project, Inc.
A nonprofit legal services corporation providing no-fee legal assistance and advocacy for Kentucky's LGBTQ+ Youth.
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KYLP to Partner With UK School of Nursing
to Provide Health Care Advocacy to
KYLP Clients in Juvenile and Family Courts
LEXINGTON -- The Kentucky Youth Law Project, Inc. is partnering with the University of Kentucky School of Nursing to address and support the medical needs of LGBTQ+ children and youth who are in foster or residential treatment placements and whose cases are before the Dependency, Neglect and Abuse (DNA) Courts, which are part of the county Juvenile and Family Court system, during the 2021 Spring Semester.
Legal Director Keith Elston made the announcement today in Lexington in an email to Family Court Judges, court personnel, and Guardians ad Litem. "We are so excited to begin this important collaboration with the UK School of Nursing," Elston said. "Too often, LGBTQ+ children and youth in out of home care are taken to primary care providers who are not familiar with their unique medical concerns. This program will provide a new layer of advocacy for our clients, inform the courts about the health needs of those clients who are before the courts, and assist our clients in finding competent and experienced health care providers to meet their needs.
KYLP has been assigned two Nursing Interns who will, primarily through telehealth, meet with our clients, discuss and assess their immediate and long-term health needs, provide written recommendations to be submitted to the Court, and assist our clients in finding health care providers who are sensitive and have experience treating LGBTQ+ youth, and help them establish a doctor/patient relationship with that provider.
Currently, finding experienced health care providers can be a daunting challenge, especially for LGBTQ+ youth in more rural areas of the state of Kentucky. "We are looking forward to adding value to our representation of our DNA clients, Elston said.
Together, we can be the allies LGBTQ+ kids need
Governor Andy Beshear has asked all of us to stay in our homes to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. However, during this time of social isolation, the work to protect LGBTQ+ youth goes on. There are still young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, gender-queer, gender non-conforming, two-spirit, and nonbinary who are experiencing homelessness. Some are estranged from their families. Some are still risking exposure to the coronavirus, and while they are not generally considered in the high-risk groups, we don't yet know all the ways the virus may manifest itself in young people.
Here are some recent examples of the work we are doing to protect LGBTQ+ kids:
You can be an ally too. Your gift of $25, $50, $100 or more will help KYLP fulfill our pledge to fight for LGBTQ+ youth throughout Kentucky. Please consider becoming a KYLP Sustainer by making your gift recurring weekly, monthly, or semiannually.
Remember what Gov. Andy says: We will get through this; we will get through this TOGETHER!
Thank you for your generous support of the Kentucky Youth Law Project!
Sincerely,
Keith D. Elston
KYLP Founder and Legal Director
Governor Andy Beshear has asked all of us to stay in our homes to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. However, during this time of social isolation, the work to protect LGBTQ+ youth goes on. There are still young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, gender-queer, gender non-conforming, two-spirit, and nonbinary who are experiencing homelessness. Some are estranged from their families. Some are still risking exposure to the coronavirus, and while they are not generally considered in the high-risk groups, we don't yet know all the ways the virus may manifest itself in young people.
Here are some recent examples of the work we are doing to protect LGBTQ+ kids:
- As the COVID-19 crisis overwhelms the child welfare system and many young people who have experienced foster care are losing employment and housing, we know that 1 in 5 children and youth in foster care identify as LGBTQ+. So KYLP is stepping up our efforts to educate Kentucky child welfare workers about the unique needs of these kids and the importance of getting the best placements for them.
- We are representing several youths who are currently in Kentucky's foster care system. One of them, a sweet and funny 13-year-old African American kid, came into the system last year when his mother died of cancer. By age 9, he was caring for his five younger siblings, acting as a surrogate parent to them, and acting as a home health aide for his mother, who was too ill to parent any of them. When he and his siblings were placed in foster care after their mother's death, he was just beginning to come out as a gay kid. This made it much harder to find a placement for him. Thankfully, we were able to find a same-sex couple in Central Kentucky who opened their home and their hearts to him. Now, he is able to stay in touch with his younger siblings and have a forever family that understands him, will fight for him, and will give him a loving and safe home.
- KYLP has recently launched a new Facebook page, @KYLPyouth, specifically for LGBTQ+ youth under age 25 and the rapid increase in membership to that page has been astounding. Just in the past two weeks we have welcomed 140+ new members and reached nearly 5,000 Kentucky youth from all over the state. All of them are under age 25 and are seeking information and support regarding their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Additionally, we have launched a private discussion group where young people can ask questions about their legal rights and share their concerns and fears.
- For more than a year, KYLP and our partners in Ban Conversion Therapy Kentucky have been at the forefront of the fight to enact legislation that will prevent licensed mental health professionals from using harmful and universally denounced practices known as "conversion therapy." In the 2020 Kentucky General Assembly, a bill that we drafted was introduced in both the House of Representatives and Senate. We are proud that there was a true bipartisan effort to get this legislation passed, and while we didn't get a vote this session, we did get commitments from the Chairs of the committees to which the bills were assigned that we would get a committee hearing during the interim, which is an important step toward passage. We will be gearing up for these hearings this summer.
- Over the past few months, I have answered a number of questions from KYLP Youth members, mostly wanting to know what their legal rights were related to hate crimes, conversion therapy, and discrimination in their schools and communities. They are thirsty for knowledge about their civil and legal rights, and this affirms our belief that LGBTQ+ youth recognize that they are treated differently and have some pretty big obstacles in their path. They need to know they have an ally who will fight for them.
You can be an ally too. Your gift of $25, $50, $100 or more will help KYLP fulfill our pledge to fight for LGBTQ+ youth throughout Kentucky. Please consider becoming a KYLP Sustainer by making your gift recurring weekly, monthly, or semiannually.
Remember what Gov. Andy says: We will get through this; we will get through this TOGETHER!
Thank you for your generous support of the Kentucky Youth Law Project!
Sincerely,
Keith D. Elston
KYLP Founder and Legal Director
A Note from our Legal Director,
Keith D. Elston: Welcome to the Kentucky Youth Law Project's official website! KYLP was founded in March 2014 to advocate for the legal needs of Kentucky's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning, intersex, gender fluid, and gender non-conforming (LGBTQ+) youth. 
KYLP Legal Director Keith Elston and his son, Nick, tabling at Capital Pride 2019 in Frankfort, Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 12.
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OUR MISSION
The mission of the Kentucky Youth Law Project, Inc. is to enhance and protect the legal rights and entitlements of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, gender fluid, and gender non-conforming (LGBTQ+) youth through free legal representation, education, and public policy advocacy. Because up to 40% of all homeless youth self-identify as LGBTQ+, our goal is to reduce homelessness and promote equal treatment for LGBTQI+ youth in social welfare agencies, government services, the Courts, and public schools through the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Founder and Legal Director Keith D. Elston serves on the Kentucky Bar Association's (KBA) Committee on Child Protection and Domestic Violence and is Chair of the KBA LGBT Law Section. He is a member of the Kentucky Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the National LGBT Bar Association, and is a vetted member of the NLGBT Bar Association's Family Law Institute and the Transgender Law Institute. He has made numerous professional presentations to Kentucky lawyers, judges, social workers, and educators on LGBTQ+ youth issues, and has represented hundreds of LGBTQ+ clients.
Mr. Elston sees clients and potential clients by appointment only. If you are an LGBTQ+ youth age 25 and under, or are the parent or guardian of an LGBTQ+ youth, and you would like to consult with us regarding an issue related to your (or your child's) sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, please fill out and submit the contact request, above.
Founder and Legal Director Keith D. Elston serves on the Kentucky Bar Association's (KBA) Committee on Child Protection and Domestic Violence and is Chair of the KBA LGBT Law Section. He is a member of the Kentucky Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the National LGBT Bar Association, and is a vetted member of the NLGBT Bar Association's Family Law Institute and the Transgender Law Institute. He has made numerous professional presentations to Kentucky lawyers, judges, social workers, and educators on LGBTQ+ youth issues, and has represented hundreds of LGBTQ+ clients.
Mr. Elston sees clients and potential clients by appointment only. If you are an LGBTQ+ youth age 25 and under, or are the parent or guardian of an LGBTQ+ youth, and you would like to consult with us regarding an issue related to your (or your child's) sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, please fill out and submit the contact request, above.
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Copyright 2019. Kentucky Youth Law Project, Inc.
Post Office Box 21964, Lexington, Kentucky 40522-1964
Post Office Box 21964, Lexington, Kentucky 40522-1964