Justice for immigrants is crucial to the work of Advocates for Youth. All young people have the right to lead healthy lives and the right to safe and supportive environments. No young person should be held in a cage and treated as an enemy of the state.

Over the last year, we have seen an explosion of anti-Asian bigotry - egged on and exacerbated by our former President and other leaders. Meanwhile, the undercurrent of misogyny in our culture has continued unabated. These sickening and dangerous messages put our young people at risk - at deadly risk.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) introduced the REPEAL (''Repeal Existing Policies that Encourage and Allow Legal”) HIV Discrimination Act, which calls for a review of all federal and state laws, policies, and regulations regarding the criminal prosecution of individuals for HIV-related offenses.

“In 27 states, LGBTQ youth are at risk of being fired, refused housing, or denied services simply because of who they are. It’s not only unfair, it’s dangerous: take a state like Texas, where ice storms have left millions in need of shelter. We can’t let states leave LGBTQ young people out in the cold. It’s well past time to rectify this situation, and it’s time Congress made the Equality Act a priority,” said Debra Hauser, President, Advocates for Youth.

Advocates for Youth applauds the Biden-Harris administration for prioritizing reproductive and sexual health, rights, and justice in their First 10 Days, but urges even further actions to expand access to care for young people, LGBTQ and BIPOC communities moving forward.

The first 100 days of the Biden-Harris administration and the 117th Congress should be a time to course-correct the harms of the last four years, while re-imagining a future that actually centers young people, LGBTQ folks, communities of color, and those most impacted by harmful federal and state regulations and legislation.