About 19% or 1,400 foster youth in Los Angeles County identify as LGBTQ. That’s about twice the percentage estimated for LGBTQ youth not in foster care. When we look at the breakdown of LGBTQ foster youth in Los Angeles County:

• 3.8% identify as gay or lesbian
• 7.3% identify as bisexual
• 2.4% report “I am not sure yet” when asked about their sexual orientation.
• 5.6% are transgender. (For this estimate, we include youth who identify as transgender, report a different current gender than their sex assigned at birth, or report “I am not sure yet” when asked about their gender identity.)

LGBTQ youth also experience the foster care system differently. They are more likely to live in group homes, report poor treatment within the child welfare system and move from one living situation to another.

Read more about the experiences of LGBTQ foster youth in Los Angeles.