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Jean Raley Megan Keaton English 111 9 July 2013 Common Causes of Homelessness in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Youth According to a report written by Nicholas Ray for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, even though only three to five present of the population of youth identify as LGBT, they represent between 20 percent and 40 percent of youth that are homeless (Ray). These youth also suffer higher incidences of drug abuse, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, sexually transmitted diseases and victimization than their heterosexual peers (Ray). In this paper, I will explore the causation of the epidemic and disproportionate percentage of homeless LGBT youth in the United States. The most common cause for a youth that identifies as LGBT to become homeless is familial rejection. Parents site religious as well as social objections to having an LGBT child in their home. It is often seen as something so abhorrent that the only perceived appropriate action is to force the child from their home. According to one study, 50 percent of gay teens experienced a negative reaction from their parents when they came out and 26 percent were kicked out of their homes. Another study found that more than one-third of youth who are homeless or in the care of social services experienced a violent physical assault when they came out, which can lead to youth leaving a shelter or foster home because they actually feel safer on the streets. (Ray)

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Furthermore, in a study written for The Williams Institute, health workers stated that familial rejection was experienced by 68% of their LGBT homeless clients (Durso and Gates). Another reason LGBT youth find themselves on the street is the lack of appropriate resources at their disposal. Children in foster care may be forced to live in a home or facility that isolates or shames them on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. According to a report published by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, even when these youth find shelter, they report facing discriminatory practices such as verbal abuse, harassment and personal judgment from peers and staff. In addition, transgender youth receive even less care. That same article also states that reports of discriminatory behavior against transgender youth and agency staff lacking skills to meet the needs of youth with gender identity questions are routine. The streets are far too often a preferable alternative to these youth than withstanding abuse by the care providers responsible for protecting them. Safe places that offer the support and programs geared specifically to the needs of LGBT youth are in short supply also because of lack of funding. A national shortage of youth shelters and housing programs result in many youth being denied assistance. A similar but separate cause for LGBT homelessness is youth that age out of the foster care system with no real and lasting support in securing jobs, supportive communities and a place to live. 12 to 36 percent of emancipated foster care youth will report being homeless at least once after discharge from care (LGBT Homeless Youth Fact Sheet, National Alliance to End Homelessness, Feb 21, 2012, Web, June 26, 2013). With no one to teach them how to apply for and keep a job, manage money and make sane, responsible choices, these young people are at a marked disadvantage.

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The fourth most likely cause for homelessness in this population is physical abuse in the home. Even though these caregivers are not physically removing these youth from the home, abusing a child for expressing a trait they have no control over sends a clear message of being unwanted. LGBT youth become an easy target for adult caretakers. According to one study, more than 30 percent of lesbian and gay people have suffered physical violence at the hands of a family member. (Ray) Choosing to be homeless to escape being beaten may seem like circular logic; but these youth often take a chance that, although violent and unpredictable, the streets may very well be safer than the home where they grew up. Possible solutions for the problem of homeless LGBT youth are education, intervention and financial support. Teaching people that differing sexual orientation and gender identities are not symptoms of criminality, disorder or even rebellion can help them begin to let go of the stigmas attached to people with those orientations as well as their loved ones. Parents who reject their children often do so out of a lack of understanding and a fear that their child will never live a normal life. So they try to scare their children straight in an attempt to repair the perceived malady. If they understand that there is nothing wrong with these children, the family can hopefully remain intact. In the absence of education, intervention is the next best approach. Therapists, teachers and medical professionals can be trained to recognize early signs of conflict in a family caused by the childs sexual orientation or gender identity. By focusing on an acceptance based solution and, never even have to face the damages of familial rejection and its consequent result of homelessness. Finally, financial support of programs such as drop in centers, temporary shelters, advocacy groups and counseling centers is absolutely essential. The

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existence of groups like this proved to prevent my own homelessness when I was asked to leave my parents home as a youth. Thanks to a local nonprofit, I had short term shelter, emotional support and counseling within five minutes. That group provided the same for at least three other youth in that summer alone. The solution is within our grasp. We must act without delay to prevent more children living, and dying, on the streets of this once great country.

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Works Cited

Durso, L.E., & Gates, G.J., Serving Our Youth: Findings from a National Survey of Service Providers Working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth who are Homeless or At Risk of Becoming Homeless, The Williams Institute with True Colors Fund and The Palette Fund, 2012. Print. June 26, 2013 LGBT Homeless Youth Fact Sheet, National Alliance to End Homelessness, 21 Feb 2012, Web, June 26, 2013 Ray, Nicholas, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth, An Epidemic of Homelessness, 2006. Print.