Disproportionately High Number of LGBT Youths In Homeless Population
A recent New York Times article written by Ian Urbina called, Gay Youths Find Place to Call Home in Specialty Shelters, hits close to home for me, and perhaps for some Queercents readers.
Urbina cites recent surveys explaining “that while gay men and lesbians make up 3 percent to 5 percent of the general population, more than 20 percent of homeless youths under age 21 in many urban areas are gay.” Makes sense to me.
There were times I wanted to run away to New York City while growing up on Long Island, NY in the 80’s and 90’s. The climate I experienced was disgustingly homophobic. I could never have imagined that people would shamelessly display such hate and ignorance towards anyone, including closeted gays like me at the time. They did, in fact, with enough frequency to make me just want to pack up a find a safe place elsewhere.
The kids Urbina writes about have endured unimaginable suffering to which I struggle to relate. It’s likely that many more gay youths are experiencing similar or far worse mistreatment in their families, schools and communities at this very minute.
Urbina graphically puts faces and stories to LGBT homeless youths for a broad audience. One subject he does not cover is what can we do to keep more gay youths off the streets. As a gay man who survived adolescence relatively OK despite everything, I’d like to know: How can I help?
It’s not just about addressing homelessness, which is already complicated in itself. It’s also about addressing homophobia, which apparently makes community shelters just as dangerous as the streets for LGBT youths. One youth Urbina interviewed tells the story of “being beaten nearly unconscious in a shelter by four men. Instead of intervening in the attack, he said, staff members closed the doors.” At another shelter “staff members removed the door to a gay youth’s bedroom, to prevent homosexual behavior. The second bed in the room was left empty, and other residents were warned that if they misbehaved they would have to share the room with the ‘gay kids.'”
Here is a list of ideas I had that may help deccelarate the impact homophobia has on queer youths. Hopefully the following information puts us in a position to either help prevent kids from running away, or at least help the ones that already have.
1) Contact your local high schools or community shelters about how to start a gay-straight alliance (GSA).
The Gay Straight Alliance network explains that a GSA “is a student-run club, typically in a high school, which provides a safe place for students to meet, support each other, talk about issues related to sexual orientation, and work to end homophobia. Many GSAs function as a support group and provide safety and confidentiality to students who are struggling with their identity as gay, lesbian, bisexual,transgender, or questioning.”
2) Get more Isaiah Washingtons and Anne Coulters in hot water.
It is quite refreshing to see media figures experience backlash for their homophobic remarks. Some people say that you shouldn’t silence the enemy because then you won’t know what they’re thinking. I agree, but you also shouldn’t let them get away with spreading hate. Here’s a link on how to report an incident to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).
3) Help the family who asks for help.
Maybe you know parents with an adolescent they suspect is queer. They’re confused, worried, and don’t know where to turn for help. PFLAG’s Straight Guide to GLBT Americans is a great resource. Also, here’s a link for nearby chapters they can attend. You may want to provide this information only if parents ask for your help. Non-relatives meddling in family matters is never appreciated, as we all know.
4) Donate time or money to LGBT homeless shelters near you.
More LGBT shelters are desperately needed according to another Urbina interviewee. “Mika Major is the director of the Metro Youth Outreach Drop-In Center, one of about 150 centers nationally where homeless gay youths can receive counseling and other services. ‘The hardest part of the job is telling kids who show up with bruises or horrific stories that we don’t have a safe place to send them,’ Ms. Major said.”
Next time you see a homeless kid that may be queer, direct him or her to a shelter listed in this national and international directory of LGBT homeless shelters. Chances are that the shelter may be full. If you have the time or money, help these shelters grow to a number that matches needs.
If you know of more shelters near you, please contact the Safe School Coalition website and have them update their directory. (This same site has a hotline to report LBGT related abuses and discrimination in foster care, which also leads to runaways.)
5) Your Ideas:
Please feel free to contribute your knowledge and resources that can help queer youth enjoy a safe transition to a happy adulthood that many of us experience today. Thanks!
What a great article – especially the “things we can do” section. It’s awesome to see a solution-oriented post.
John,
I agree. Thanks much for this important post.
The only thing I would add is that, of course, some if not many LGBT runaways eventually become homeless adults and homeless seniors. Talk about maginalization and invisibility!
George
Also – provide a kid with a place to live if you can. My of my friends went to live with friends’ parents after they were kicked out by their own parents. Be that angel, if you are in a position to do so.
If you have/know straight kids, encourage them to get active on their gay friends’ behalf. GSA is good for them, too.
If your local school district doesn’t have a no bullying policy, work towards getting one in place. You pay taxes – you don’t have to be a parent of a student to have a voice.