There are approximately 1.6 million to 2.8 million homeless young people in the United States and a disproportionate number — 20 to 40 percent — are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. LGBT youth often run away from home because of family conflict and then “face overt discrimination when seeking alternative housing, which is compounded by institutionalized discrimination in federally funded programs.”
Last night, a local CBS affiliate in Miami, Florida offered an in-depth look into the crisis of LGBT youth homelessness and the children who are put out “like trash” by parents who refuse to accept them:
Studies show that 320,000 to 400,000 gay and transgender youth face homelessness each year and that many lose their homes at the young age of 13 or 14, as they come out to their parents. Fortunately, the Department of Health and Human Services is already providing “training and technical assistance to States and Indian Tribes on a wide variety of LGBTQ-related issues” and the Obama administration has released recommendations for providing the best possible care in shelters for homeless LGBT youth.
But still, more must be done. There are currently no federal programs specifically designed to meet the needs of gay and transgender homeless youth and federal grant awards for homeless youth services “are being awarded to providers without mandating that they not discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
As the Center for American Progress has recommended, President Obama should issue an executive order “recognizing both lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender homeless youth and homeless youth in general as special-needs populations, and protecting them from discrimination by federal grantees” and the federal government must begin developing programs “that help families from all communities support and nurture their gay and transgender children.”
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) has also introduced the Reconnecting Youth to Prevent Homelessness Act, a bill “designed to help homeless youth rejoin their families and escape life on the streets.” The measure calls for a “demonstration project for improving family relationships and reducing homelessness for LGBT youth” and the development of programs “that improve family relationships and reduce homelessness for LGBT youth.”
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That is fucking horrible, excuse my French.
:(
Love your children no matter their sexual orientation.
This is so heartbreaking :(
this is why im blessed that my Mom and Dad did not thow me out growing up !!
So sad :(
dislike
This is sad
Been there and thats y i love my mom for exceptin me and lettin me stay wit her
Ill take him in but when he gets older they’ll have HELL to pay for in DA long run
:’(
this is sickening :(
This is so disgusting….. :[ AHH WHY CANT WE JUST FRICKEN GET ALONG?! We are all human beings. We all love, fight, smile, cry; we all bleed red. We are humans, no matter who we go to sleep with at night.
That is rediculous! there is nothing wrong with being gay!!!
this is EXACTLY why I want to work with LGBTQ youth…they need to know they are BETTER THAN THIS!!! THEY DESERVE BETTER THAN THIS!!!
Very sad that you would treat your own child like that.
When you bring a child (a precious gift) into this world, it is your responsibility to love and protect them no matter their orientation. You should forever be their calm in the storms of life…not the one that throws them to the wolves. There’s a special place in HELL for parents that dont do right by their children.
Alas, this is not news to glbt advocates
:(
I can’t believe this still happens so horrible
This is why I can’t wait to be in a better financial situation. When I am, I’m going to adopt like hell.
the creator did n’t make garbage and they should n’t do that all LGBTQ are special am a lesbian I will always love my children. when am ready to be a parent if they ‘re straight lesbian gay bisexual trasgender transexual asexual pansexual ploysexual I would always love them! I want to be a accepted parent that loves their children no mater what they are. I don’t have a good relationship with my parent’s about me being a lesbian and I what my children to come and talk too me. About things that bother them cause my parent’s don’t but i will never throughout gifts from the creator
Glad I’m one of you now!!!!
Unfortunately this happens way too often. Here in Philadelphia our system is overun with LGBTQ youth with no where to go. We have one pilot ‘shelter’ like program for LGBTQ youth. It is run on a shoe string & that little bit of funding ends Feb. 29 :(
WHAT! WHO DOES THAT!
I would love to have an organization geared to help kids who are treated this way and pass laws that would punish the parents for being this way. Love your children no matter what. And what makes me sick is these kids are being punished for doing just that. LOVING!
What a damn shame your child to be thrown out hope you all go to hell u good christians we should be helping these young folks for our future
See what that does to kids. I have one of them in my house. Priyadarshi Datta
GDI!!! That really pisses me off. Know wonder people wont wanna come out to others! :-((((((((((
My wyfe is a mental health counselor for a program in Vanc, WA, that serves just these kids! over 40% of our clients are LGBTQI youth discarded (or in consant threat of being) by their families! It happens in EVERY city and town… our youth are 11-20… and those are the lucky few who make it to us!
I would take them in
What’s going on in this world when parents will treat their own children in this way? Our children are our collective future no matter their sexual orientation! I’m Gay and proud of it! If each one of us would step up and do anything and everything necessary to stop this type of grotesque and immoral behavior that’s occurring with these sick parents this type of action would stop! END THE HATE!
oh no those poor kids it’s already not easy to be us why would anyone do that :(
who would do this?
those parents should be shot or least educated
nobody deserves to be treated like a “Trash” :(
Happen here in Detroit all the time. Thank God for the Ruth Ellis Center to take them in or help them on the street.
*Happens
I find it interesting CPS doesn’t get involved.
Finally some press on a crisis that has plagued LGBT youth for many years. Even though I haven’t read this story, I was briefly part of the homeless scene in Fort Lauderdale in 2002.
Stop the Hate. Come out and educate