The Afternoon Edition · FEATURE
TODAYSMART PRODUCT DESIGN
A discreet safety pendant and app for LGBTQ+ youth in foster care.
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Safe, accepted, supported
PrideSafe tackles the specific challenges faced by LGBTQ youth in foster care, who often face more isolation, discrimination and mental health struggles because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. My goal was a solution that improves their physical safety and also nurtures a sense of belonging and community. By offering a discreet, effective way to seek help in emergencies and connect with supportive peers and resources, PrideSafe aims to reduce the risks and emotional burden of being an LGBTQ youth in the foster care system.
Every young person deserves to feel safe, accepted and supported, regardless of their background or identity.
As of 2021, around 391,000 children were in foster care. Over 54,000 were adopted from the child welfare system; about 9% aged out without a permanent family, often facing homelessness and lack of support.
CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE
SOURCE: CONGRESSIONAL COALITION ON ADOPTION INSTITUTE, FACT SHEETS (opens in a new tab)
More than one in three youths (34.1%) aged 13–20 in New York City foster care identify as LGBTQ+.
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LGBTQ youth in foster care
This section quotes young people describing abuse, depression and suicidal thoughts.
“I was told that foster families didn’t want a gay kid in their home, so I grew up in group homes and residential centers where I was abused sexually, physically and emotionally.”Kristopher Sharp, eight years in foster care
35 states and the District of Columbia have laws or policies protecting youth in the child welfare system from discrimination based on both sexual orientation and gender identity. Six more protect on sexual orientation only. Nine have no explicit protection.
New YorkSexual orientation and gender identity
Map of the United States with one button per state. Arrow keys move between states; each state's name and category are read out.
35 states + DC · 6 states · 9 states with no explicit protection
As of 2026, per Movement Advancement Project
Discrimination, rejection and higher rates of mental health issues.
The need to conceal their authentic selves to avoid discrimination or alienation.
Higher risk of homelessness due to family rejection and discrimination; safe, affirming housing is hard to find.
Frequent placement changes interrupt schooling; schools often lack inclusive curricula, adding to alienation.
LGBTQ foster youth aged 15–18 frequently face significant emotional challenges while managing societal pressures and the complexities of their identities. Supporting them at this stage helps build resilience, self-acceptance and a positive outlook on the future.
she/her · lesbian
Came out at 11 in foster care. Faced rejection and homophobia from her own family; diagnosed with severe depression at 16.
“I thought I deserved to die, I was the wrong one. I really wish someone could have helped me and told me I am not alone.”
Video interview, source online.
they/them · non-binary · 16
4 years in foster care. Struggles to find acceptance within the system; feels isolated without peers and adults who understand LGBTQ issues.
“Having a supportive community and a sense of safety makes all the difference. It helps me feel seen, understood, and secure in a world that often doesn’t.”
Video interview, source online.
he/him · transgender · 18
Came out at 14 in foster care. Faced rejection from foster families, leading to anxiety and depression.
“There were times when I felt so hopeless… Having a supportive caseworker has been a lifeline. It’s made navigating the system a bit easier.”
Video interview, source online.
SOLUTIONS THAT CAME OUT OF RESEARCH
Taylor Jordan
17 · non-binary (they/them) · New York
“I want to feel like I belong, without constantly worrying about my safety or how people will react to who I am.”
REVIEWS
Comfortable chest-binding for transgender people.
Discreet jewelry with panic button, GPS and fake call.
Help children express emotions tangibly in therapy.
Gender-neutral fashion promoting inclusivity.
PrideSafe takes the discreet, wearable safety of binders and safety jewelry and adds the inclusivity and self-expression of gender-neutral fashion.
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PrideSafe integrates a discreet device into a pendant to ensure access to help and foster connections among peers, so LGBTQ youth feel valued, supported and confident.
LGBTQ youth in foster care, 15–18.
A user community connecting users with nearby peers and group homes.
Built into an everyday object (a phone pendant); easy to activate but protected against accidental activation.
GPS shares the user’s location with registered, verified peers, and optionally trusted contacts or authorities.
A unicorn for every flag
The pendant draws on the unicorn, a symbol of the LGBTQ community, in a patchwork mosaic of colors from different LGBTQ flags. Symbols of each group become unique unicorn earrings.
Infinity heart
P symbol
Lambda (representing energy and equality)
Labrys (symbolizing lesbian pride and strength)
Two linked female symbols
Bigender symbol
Butterfly (transformation)
Frog (male and female)
Transgender symbol
Double triangle (dual identity)
Moons
Linked bisexual symbol
Pink triangle (once a Nazi symbol for gay men, later reclaimed as a pride symbol)
Green carnation (representing gay men, popularized by Oscar Wilde)
Two linked male symbols
Non-binary symbol
Cake (“Cake is better than sex anyway”)
Ring
Plain black circle3D EARRINGS
The app and the pendant
Recent alerts, quick access to the panic button, emergency contacts, group home and events.
Connect with nearby LGBTQ peers and group homes, join forums; events calendar of local LGBTQ events and support groups.
The user’s real-time location and nearby registered peers; search for the closest therapy centers.
Add and manage trusted contacts, choose who receives alerts, quick-dial help hotlines.
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I built a small Arduino prototype to show how the pendant works. When the pendant is squeezed, a pressure sensor connected to a Bluetooth module sends a signal to the phone to set off a help alarm.
Finished device.
Test the film pressure sensor.
The sensor sits in the unicorn’s horn: easy to press, and it prevents false alarms. The other electronics are stuffed inside the pendant.
if (analogRead(A0) < 500) { BT.print("Help"); }
Pressure sensor in the horn
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Angie’s reflection goes here.