March 6th
LGBT people have the right to marry, many of us, straight and gay, think we are now thought of as equal. That is not true.
Most of us have been fortunate to have a family and a home. Unfortunately, that is not true for a lot of LGBT youth. Forty-two percent of homeless youth are LGBT.
The number one reason they are homeless is family rejection or abuse, largely because of their family’s religious beliefs. Their parents throw them out. We think that most of the homeless are in the big cities, like Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, but this problem also exists in small to mid-sized cities and towns across the country. The South is especially troubling, since much of the funding and grants available to assist the homeless is earmarked for faith-based initiative charities, many who are unwilling to help the LGBT community.
The major reasons homeless youth cite for remaining homeless, include lack of affordable housing options, incomplete education, inaccessible job market and on-going drug use.
Statistically thirty-three percent of all teen suicides are LGBT.
If you or someone you know needs assistance, I found the following websites: True Colors Fund (started by Cyndi Lauper) look under Resources – there’s a True Inclusion Directory; Lambda Legal has Resources for LGBTQ Youth by State: and GLBTNearMe.org The GLBT National Resource Database.
Loved this blog. I hope you’ll continue to write more about LGBT youth.
Thank you. I’m glad you like my blog and yes, I will write more about LGBT youth and other subjects that effect the LGBT community.
Loved your ‘About Us’ introduction! So important to connect people to people, to introduce histories and celebrate achievements. The more we know, the better we are. Ignorance breeds fear and bullying. You are doing such good, positive communication & outreach with LGBT Spotlight! As a straight person, I applaud your efforts, especially in reaching out to the young LGBT community to let them know they aren’t alone. As human beings, we’re in this world together, and I thank you for helping us get to know one another in an informative, entertaining way. Keep up the great work!
Thank you for visiting my website. I hope you will continue to visit and to share with your friends and family.