The future of the LGBT community…
I read an upsetting report today which stated that nearly 1/3 of homeless teens in New York City are gay, lesbian or bisexual, a number which totals about 3,800. While it is truly disturbing that there are any number of homeless people under the age of 25, to know that there is such a high number from the LGBT community is particularly hard to swallow.
According to the article on 365gay.com, oftentimes LGBT youth do not find the same shelter opportunities as other teens because they are discriminated against by the very people they are looking to for help and protection. This is appalling. Instead, many of these young men and women turn to prostitution in order to survive.
I think it’s important, as we snuggle into the warmth and joy of this holiday season, we remember all of the LGBT teens who are not welcome in their homes because of their sexual orientation. There are many organizations who are working towards helping the younger generation of the LGBT community. Take a look into these and help in any way you can.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force discusses homelessness among LGBT youth in a report which can be found here. This report was compiled in a joint effort with the National Coalition for the Homeless.
Other organizations helping LGBT teens are:
The Trevor Project - the nation’s only 24/7 crisis and suicide prevention helpline for LGBT youth
GLSEN- an organization devoted to assuring the every member of our nation’s schools is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation
OutProud - the national coalition for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth
Anything you are able to offer helps, whether it be time, resources or money.
-Sara
