Part I of “Fostering Hate” tells the story of an epic battle between the city of Philadelphia and the religious right over LGBTQ parents and the foster system. Philly has more children in need of foster care than any other city of comparable size – a reported 6,000 children need foster care at any given time. Yet several of the organizations who work to place children in foster homes in the city refuse to work with LGBTQ parents, citing religious reasons. We traveled to Philadelphia to meet some of the parents and children affected by these discriminatory policies – and to unravel the ongoing legal battle over the future of queer parents in Philly’s foster system. 

Warning: This account contains graphic descriptions that may trigger some listeners. Discretion is advised.

Read the full transcript here.

In part II of “Fostering Hate,” we tell the stories of LGBTQ parents and children navigating a foster system with a history of anti-LGBTQ discrimination. Too often, foster parents are not adequately vetted or trained. And many times, when parents can’t meet the needs of LGBTQ foster children, they end up in group facilities with troubling outcomes. In this episode, we meet LGBTQ people who have been deeply impacted by issues of bias, rejection and queer identity in the foster system – each of them ultimately connected by their desire for a chosen family where LGBTQ identities are accepted and celebrated. 

Warning: This account contains graphic descriptions that may trigger some listeners. Discretion is advised.

Read the full transcript here.