Qnotes is launching a reporting series on violence against LGBTQ+ youth with the hopes of capturing the reality these teens and young adults face. In addition to providing a platform for queer youth to share their stories, Qnotes is also looking to report on solutions being used in other communities to help address the disproportionate impact LGBTQ+ youth feel in regard to violence.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports LGBTQ+ youth have a higher risk of experiencing violent harassment, whether it be at home or school. According to a 2021 report from the CDC, almost 10 percent of LGBTQ+ youth are threatened or injured with a weapon at school while only six percent of heterosexual youth reported being threatened or injured. Another report from the CDC said 20 percent of LGBTQ+ youth said they had been physically abused by a parent or other adult in their home. For heterosexual students, that figure was 10 percent.
The U.S. Dept. of Justice also has data on violent incidents involving queer youth. From 2017 to 2020, the rate of violent victimization — which includes rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault — of lesbian or gay people (43.5 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 16 or older) was more than two times the rate for heterosexual individuals (19.0 per 1,000). For transgender people, they experience violence at a rate (51.5 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 16 or older) 2.5 times the rate among cisgender folks (20.5 per 1,000).
Youth violence itself has escalated across the United States, and Charlotte is no exception. The goal of this series is not just to ask why youth violence among LGBTQ+ students and youth adults is prominent, but to use a solutions-based approach to identify how the problem could be handled.
Qnotes is looking to speak to various youth organizations, current LGBTQ+ students and queer young adults regarding what they see on a day-to-day basis. If you are interested in learning more about this series or have ideas for how to best approach this topic, please email Reporter Taylor Heeden at taylorheeden@qnotescarolinas.com.