Introduction to the Mini-Series on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth: Their Interests and Concerns as Learners in Schools

“Who made this up?” This was the very real and pressing question of a 14-year-old girl surprised to learn that her next-door neighbors and long-time friends were not covered by health insurance the way her family was. The family with insurance trouble was a lesbian couple and their three sons. One parent in this family was employed by the county as a hospice nurse; the other parent was a freelance author. When the author suddenly became ill and the modest insurance coverage she had maintained was insufficient to cover her medical care, the family encountered severe financial strain that led to the selling of their home and a move across town to an apartment. The 14-year-old neighbor’s question, “Who made this up?” reflected her confusion that anyone in a family would be denied medical insurance, in this case, by the county that employed the second parent.