americanprogress.org – By Jerome Hunt, Aisha C. Moodie-Mills
Gay, transgender, and gender nonconforming youth are significantly over-represented in the juvenile justice system – approximately 300,000 gay and transgender youth are arrested and/or detained each year, of which more than 60 percent are black or Latino. Though gay and transgender youth represent just 5 percent to 7 percent of the nation’s overall youth population, they compose 13 percent to 15 percent of those currently in the juvenile justice system.