By Molly Tafoya

Tomorrow, October 11th, is National Coming Out Day —a day to celebrate and support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) people—and young people in particular. And so today, as part of Youth Justice Action Month (YJAM), the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) and several other groups are highlighting the experiences of LGBTQ youth in the juvenile and criminal justice system.

A growing body of research lays bare the overrepresentation of incarcerated LGBTQ youth in the United States. LGBTQ youth are more likely to enter the juvenile justice system, they are overrepresented in the system, and they face high rates of violence and harassment in justice facilities. Today’s a day for allies to come out in support of LGBTQ youth and for all of us to fight for justice for youth.

While we lack data about LGBTQ youth in the adult justice system, the data about these young people in juvenile facilities is heartbreaking. MAP released a new report in June 2017: Unjust: LGBTQ Youth Incarcerated in the Juvenile Justice System detailing the experience of LGBTQ youth in the system. Of the estimated 50,000 youth incarcerated in the juvenile justice system, it is estimated that 39% of girls identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual – compared to approximately 7-9% of youth in the general population. While 3.2% of incarcerated boys[NG4]  identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, they are disproportionately likely to report being sexually assaulted by peer; 21% of gay and bisexual boys reported being sexually assaulted by a peer compared to 2% of heterosexual boys. Many LGBTQ youth are also subjected by biased staff members to harmful conversion therapy and sex-offender counseling simply because the youth is LGBTQ, while many are also denied critical medical care. Finally, lack of supportive services and limits on family visitation mean LGBTQ youth who are incarcerated are often denied equal opportunities to successfully reenter their communities upon release.

LGBTQ youth need safe and supportive families, schools, and communities to stem the overrepresentation in the system, and LGBTQ youth in the system need reforms to ensure they are cared for and have the best chance to grow into thriving adults.

Share these graphics and your own national coming out (#NCOD) for youth justice (#YJAM) and increase the visibility and awareness of the needs of LGBTQ youth in the juvenile and criminal justice systems.

Molly Tafoya is the Director of Community Engagement for the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), an organization whose work helps educate and persuade public audiences (such as policymakers, allied organizations and funders, media and the American public) and helps support LGBT movement audiences.