Legal Challenges Facing Lesbian and Gay Youth

Legal constraints on minors can be especially problematic for lesbian and gay youth, who frequently lack support from their families and from school authorities, and whose circumstances are often misunderstood or disregarded by authorizes throughout the juvenile system. Legal mechanisms exist or can e crafted to meet the needs of lesbian and gay youth who have been rejected by their families of origin. School welfare and juvenile justice administrators must become sensitive to personal, economic, and societal pressures faced by lesbian and gay youth, and must tailor bureaucratic responses to the youthÆs particular needs. Finally, it is imperative that adults in the lesbian and gay communities take responsibility for protecting the interest of younger members of the community.