The following is from an exceptionally disturbing report on homelessness among LGBT teenagers. It is quite frightening.
The majority of existing selters and other care are not providing safe and effective srvices to LGBT homeless youth. For example, in New York City, nearly 60 percent of beds for homeless youth are provided by Covenant House, a facility where LGBT youth report that they have been threatened, belittled, and abused by staff and other youth because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
At one residential placement facility in Michigan, LGBT teens, or those suspected of being LGBT were forced to wear orange jumpsuits to alert staff and other residents at another transitional housing placement, staff removed the bedroom door of an out gay youth, supposedly to ward of any homosexual behavior. The second bed in the room was left empty and other residents were warned thhat if they misbehaved the would share the room with the gay kid.
LGBT homeless youth at the Home for Little Wanderers in Massachusetts have reported being kicked out of other agencies when they revealed their sexual oreintation or identity. Many also said that the risks inherent to living in a space that was not protecting them made them think they were better off having unsafe sex and contracting HIV because they would ten be eligible for specific housing funds reserved for HIV positive homeless people in need.
http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/HomelessYouth.pdf There is no excuse for places like NYC and Massachusetts having no place for gay youth to go. We are making tremendous gains for adults but are we letting our kids down? I just can't get over the mental image of gay kids in MA purposely giving themselves AIDS just so they can have a place to live. If we can't save our kids in MA, then where can we save them.
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