Some lawmakers in Ohio and nationwide have created a hostile legislative climate for LGBTQ+ people. In 2023, the number of anti- LGBTQ+ bills introduced at statehouses across the nation, including Ohio, tripled compared to the previous year, with nonbinary and transgender people targeted by this legislation.

According to watchdog groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), harsh public policy is not the only challenge facing this community. An April 2024 ACLU survey revealed widespread distrust of law enforcement among LGBTQ+ populations.

The survey found that more than one in four transgender people reported experiencing physical force by police, and 45% of transgender and 33% of nonbinary respondents experienced insulting or abusive language—all at the hands of the police.

Janine BoydWhile progress in the halls of power may grind slowly, former Cleveland Heights City Council member Janine Boyd reminds us that change often starts at the ground level. Last fall, Boyd proposed a city resolution to improve interactions between members of the Cleveland Heights Police Department and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth. The resolution was approved in December.

Drawing on expertise from Shaker Heights-based child services agency Bellefaire JCB, Boyd is championing legislation that places special attention on transgender and nonbinary residents. The former city official saw an opportunity to work with Bellefaire to “professionalize” police encounters with a group already facing societal stigmas, family rejection. and an unfriendly political atmosphere.

“It made sense to connect those two things—professionalizing law enforcement and protecting a population under attack from policy,” says Boyd, who resigned from city council in March to relocate with her family to Virginia. “Generally, there is a lot of fear of police from kids in these communities. We’re trying to build bridges that were not there or were torn down by images in the news.”

A first crucial step

Reducing negative encounters with police involves prohibiting the use of explicitly hateful language, avoiding gender-determining frisks, and refraining from referring to a transgender or nonbinary individuals by names they used prior to transitioning. Boyd notes that additional “informed protocols” should include education on transgender or nonbinary identities.

For example, “transgender” describes people whose gender identity is different from the sex assigned to them at birth, while a “nonbinary” applies to those who may not identify exclusively as a man or woman.

Rae Jackson, lead education coordinator with the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, recalls being singled out by police as a queer BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) person in their own small hometown. Simply hanging out with friends could draw the wrong kind of attention from law enforcement.

“I could be minding my own business, then talking to an officer when I didn’t do anything wrong,” says Jackson, who uses they/them pronouns.

Lack of societal acceptance often starts at home, while extending to the systems that should be protecting queer youth. Ultimately, this population is receiving a clear message that they are not welcome anywhere, Jackson says.

Transgender people are particularly vulnerable to discrimination and violence even compared to other underserved groups. A report by Everytown for Gun Safety found that homicides of transgender people doubled from 2017 to 2021, with Black transgender women accounting for nearly three-quarters of victims.

Police training is a crucial step in rectifying the existing imbalance, says Jackson, who hopes Bellefaire’s education includes application of real-life scenarios. For example, Jackson suggests that officers share their own pronouns during an encounter before inquiring about someone else’s pronouns.

“[Think about] how might you navigate a situation in a more effective and inclusive way,” suggests Jackson. “Don’t single people out, and don’t make assumptions. What are your objectives, and how are you fostering trust between these communities?”

Jeffrey LoxProviding critical support

Along with respectfully engaging transgender and other LGBTQ+ residents, Boyd’s resolution recommends an update to Cleveland Heights’ youth diversion and mentoring programs. To that end, Bellefaire is helping the city update youth programming—a natural crossover for an organization well-versed in the struggles of queer teens and adolescents.

“We’ve done some targeted programs with runaway youth who identify as part of the community,” says Bellefaire executive director Jeffrey Lox. “Over the last couple of years, we’ve also seen an increase in behavioral health issues from kids in that [LGBTQ+] continuum.”

Bellefaire currently coordinates trainings with police departments, the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, and additional area triage services when assisting youth and their families. Additionally, the nonprofit has worked with Boyd previously on updating Cleveland Heights’ mentoring and diversion programs for non-violent youth.

Lox says that considering queer people’s struggles with situations that bring police attention, such as bullying and experiencing homelessness, it’s imperative to prioritize their fair and equitable treatment.

“Cops may be getting involved with family conflicts over [a youth’s] identity, too,” says Lox. “This is about better engagement and outcomes around those interactions.”

Ohio youth advocates say training law enforcement and social service agencies is critical for supporting LGBTQ+ youth. Columbus-based Kaleidoscope Youth Center (KYC) has been providing such instruction for years—acting as a backstop for kids in difficult circumstances.

Amanda Erickson“A lot of times, LGBTQ+ youth don’t get to choose what situations they’re ending up in, and we need to make sure there are supportive adults in all of those settings,” says Amanda Erickson, KYC director of outreach and education.

Understanding best practices of assisting the LGBTQ+ community—particularly trans and non-binary youth—is key to successful training, Erickson adds. Those strategies include gender-neutral language and challenging any preconceived notions that professionals may carry.

“We talk a lot about believing the youth when they tell us who they are and asking them what support they ne,” says Erickson, “instead of trying to fix all the things without understanding their identity or where they’re coming from.”

This type of police training is not always without pushback, especially in a state with a slate of legislation targeting LGBTQ+ youth that includes forcibly outing young people to their families, banning gender-affirming care, and restricting restrooms that trans youth can use in schools.

“It’s really unfortunate that politicians have sometimes decided that this type of education is not worth spending public time or dollars on,” says Erickson. “But we need to make sure that all adults have the basic understandings of working with LGBTQ+ youth.”

Bellefaire is currently collaborating with the Cleveland Heights Police Department on a potential training regimen, with that work expected to be finalized by early fall. Ideally, the effort will defuse criminalization and mistrust of LGBTQ+ youth while spreading to other disenfranchised populations as well, notes legislation creator Boyd.

“Law enforcement should be able to process this training, so it becomes part of their everyday work,” says Boyd. “When you provide training on one vulnerable population, a lot of the subject matter translates to other vulnerable populations.”

Additional reporting by Ken Schneck, editor of The Buckeye Flame.