NEW YORK -- Immigrants held in crowded Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers are extremely vulnerable to the spread of infectious diseases including COVID-19, and the risks can be especially high for lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people.

The Free Them All Campaign is a joint effort by immigrants' rights groups across the country. It has called for the release of everyone in immigration detention to reduce the risk of the deadly virus spreading among the detainees.

Ian Zdanowicz, co-director of the Queer Detainee Empowerment Project, said discrimination and harassment faced by those in the LGBTQIA community magnify those risks.

"They go through sexual violence on a daily basis," Zdanowicz said. "Trans women are housed in solitary confinement for weeks, sometimes months, sometimes years."

Q-DEP works to find pro-bono lawyers for LGBTQIA detainees and finds them sponsors to help expedite their release on parole or bond.

Zdanowicz noted that detainees living with HIV are in the high-risk category for infection and death from COVID, and detention centers have a poor track record for providing medical care.

"We hear too many stories about them not having access to their medication, sometimes for months," he said. "And very often people are not provided HIV tests inside of detention."

The Free Them All campaign is working with lawyers to secure the release of detainees living with HIV as soon as possible.

Those efforts have been getting results. Zdanowicz said before the COVID pandemic, they had 160 members in immigration detention. That number has been reduced to 60. And, he added, they continue to get assistance once they're released.

"We provide post-relief support to folks who are eligible for free housing in New York City," he said. "We also connect people with medical care; we have mental-health and healing-support programs."

He said releasing immigrants from detention also frees up taxpayer dollars for the fight against a public health crisis that continues to grow in many parts of the country.


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Advocates for the LGBTQ+ community want Connecticut lawmakers to consider bills that would help address a variety of this community's needs. They include legislation to ensure LGBTQ+ seniors in long-term care facilities aren't discriminated against, and expanding protections under no-fault eviction legislation.

William Ollayos, administrator with the LGBTQ+ Justice and Opportunity Network, noted that the group is also looking for funding to update a needs assessment that was first done in 2021.

"Something like that should be reciprocal and done every couple of years, because community needs change. If you're talking about any marginalized community - queer folks, people of color, immigrants - their needs are going to change year to year. And especially after COVID, we just really need that updated data to inform some of the additional legislation we're talking about," he said.

The current needs assessment finds 69% of people in this community have experienced discrimination. Ollayos said other issues legislators should work on include safe school initiatives that preventing queer kids from being bullied, and mental health care.

While the General Assembly's LGBTQ+ Caucus has grown, competing priorities are expected to be a challenge to passing these bills.

Matthew Blinstrubas, executive director of Equality Connecticut, predicts President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration and Congress' Republican majority will harm the work they're doing.

"We are always concerned about the federal government maintaining its support for medical services, keeping our schools safe and welcoming, and making sure that our community is not used as a political tool to hold funding hostage," he said.


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A California nonprofit dedicated to helping transgender and gender-nonconforming people find good jobs is looking to expand its mission in 2025, back from the brink of closure last year.

Trans Can Work, based in Los Angeles, shut down last January when its funding fell through and reopened in June thanks to a 3-year grant from the James Irvine Foundation.

Toni Newman, board chair of the group, said the trans community suffers from extremely high rates of unemployment.

"Every American, regardless of who they are -- race, age, and gender -- should be able to get a job in America that they're qualified for and have some type of economic security," Newman contended. "Why are our numbers so high, at 65% living at the poverty level or below? Just because we are different? That's un-American, and it's wrong."

A 2021 study from the McKinsey company found transgender adults are twice as likely as their cisgender peers to be unemployed. When they do find a job, they make 32% less money per year, even with similar or higher education levels. They also found more than half of transgender employees said they are not comfortable being "out" at work. And two-thirds remain in the closet in professional interactions outside their own companies.

Newman noted the job center's goal for 2025 is to place at least 500 clients in new careers.

"We help you with your resume, help you with your clothing, help you to get ready for the interview, get you a laptop if you need a laptop," Newman outlined. "Then walk you into the interview and help place you in the job."

Trans Can Work also receives support from the Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Intersex Wellness and Health Equity Unit of the California Department of Public Health.

The Nebraska Legislature kicks off its new session a few weeks from today and issues related to gender identity are likely to be part of the mix.

LGBTQ+ advocates said they are in familiar territory, trying to establish a voice in the debate. Last year, a Nebraska bill to ban transgender students from playing school sports consistent with their gender identity narrowly failed. Republican Gov. Jim Pillen said he will try again this year.

Grant Friedman, legal fellow for the ACLU of Nebraska, said anyone opposed should try to set aside time with lawmakers to explain their concerns. From his perspective, Friedman argued policymakers should know other matters need attention.

"Getting folks to realize they're there to make Nebraska a better place for everyone and focus on the issues that need to be dealt with," Friedman urged. "Not kind of these 'fringe' issues that are being blown out of proportion across the country."

With Nebraska's budget on shaky ground and the need to address affordable housing gaps, he said advocates can pinpoint a number of topics they want lawmakers to look at instead. Polls show most Americans oppose transgender restrictions but Republicans' recent campaign messages have found some captive audiences. Backers of the bills said their mission is to protect students and families.

The ACLU is part of a coalition including OutNebraska, serving as a guide for LGBTQ+ individuals navigating a divisive political environment. Friedman emphasized local government is an avenue to push for protections if state and federal lawmakers are not showing a collective interest in advancing the rights of the LGBTQ+ population.

"The three areas in which you tend to see your city protections are going to be workplace, housing and public accommodations," Friedman outlined.

Friedman added they have found some allies among faith leaders willing to push for unity as marginalized communities fall under the political spotlight. Groups like the Trevor Project said bills deemed hostile toward LGBTQ+ populations can have a damaging effect on the mental health of community members.