21
Jan
0
Op-Ed: ‘Those Kinds of Kids’: Meeting the Needs of LGBTQ Youth of Color Charged with Status Offenses
By Bernadette Brown
Senior Program Specialist, National Council on Crime and Delinquency
Jay is a 16-year-old black lesbian. She was suspended for aggressive behavior when she stood up to defend herself against another student who harassed her because of her haircut and the baggy jeans she likes to wear. At home, Jay’s dad complains about her “looking like a boy.” Soon after, Jay begins skipping school because she is tired of being harassed by fellow students, and is arrested for truancy.
