The Commission on GLBT Youth began in 1992 when Governor William F. Weld created the Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth in response to an epidemic of suicide among gay and lesbian youth. On October 7th, 1998, Governor A. Paul Cellucci expanded the powers of the Governor's Commission and renewed the executive office’s commitment to combat suicide and violence affecting gay and lesbian youth.
The Governor's Commission was dissolved in 2006, and the MA Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth was created by the General Court on July 1st, 2006. This Commission is an independent agency of the Commonwealth and has a mandate to investigate the use of resources from both the public and private sectors to enhance and improve the ability of state agencies to provide services that protect and support the health and safety of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) youth in the schools and communities of Massachusetts, with a focus on suicide prevention, violence intervention, and the promotion of zero-tolerance policies regarding harassment and discrimination against GLBT youth. The Commission is also mandated to make recommendations about policies and programs supporting GLBT youth to the State government and its agencies, and to ask for adequate funding in the annual State budget for effective programs.
The Commission was created in an Act of Jul. 1, 2006, ch. 139, §4, codified in Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 3, §67 (2006).
(25 KB)