Young, LGBT and Homeless in Age of Broken Windows

Police officers often harm and harass rather than protect and serve LGBT youth who have traded sex for shelter in New York City, a new study says.

The Urban Institute report, “Locked In: Interactions With the Criminal Justice and Child Welfare Systems for LGBTQ Youth, YMSM, and YWSW Who Engage in Survival Sex,” analyzes law enforcement interactions with 283 lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and questioning youth who have engaged in survival sex. (Youths who identify as straight but have reported having had sex with members of the same sex were also included in this sample group of 283.)