In Florida last month, a 16 year-old boy was attacked from behind and beaten in a juvenile detention facility by two fellow residents after he came out as gay. Reportedly, one his assailants told the victim he “didn’t want a faggot” in the unit.

In an essay for The Advocate last year, a queer youth wrote of feeling singled out, scrutinized, and harassed by homophobic staff in a juvenile detention facility. “We are already there for negative behavior,” she wrote. “We need guidance — not abandonment.”

A 2017 study by the Juvenile Law Center found that the use of solitary confinement, which can lead to depression, anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, self-injury, and suicidality, was widespread in juvenile facilities across the country. The study also found that the practice was disproportionately applied to LGBTQ youth, youth of color, girls, and young people with disabilities.

[For more on this story by SEAN CAHILL, go to https://www.advocate.com/comme...-failing-lgbtq-youth]