Young. Gay. Homeless.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) homeless youth often endure disproportionate hardships because of their sexual orientation; they not only face the obstacle of surviving on the streets but also the stigma of belonging to a sexual minority. Violence and harrasment in homeless shelters causes many LGBT youth to choose the streets. As a result, they suffer from higher rates of physical and sexual victimization, addictive substance abuse, psychopathological disorders, and riskier sexual behavior (National Gay and Lesbian Task Force 2007). To combat this problem, many cities have opened LGBT specific shelters, but Chicago has yet to follow. Since Chicago streets are dangerous and youth shelters equally so, many kids are left with no alternatives.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• homeless
• chicago
• LGBT
• youth

[coonish28]

This is very true unfortunatly, I am gay and come from a wealthy family and I had to go without money and support from my family most of my youth. I couldnt make any mistakes and I had to work really hard. I was homeless for an entire month and it was so difficult keeping a job with no car and no home. The weather was horrible and I only got 3 hours of sleep a night because I was scared of some of the characters walking the streets. Thank God I got my college degree and my family came around

[TheLatasia]

This is heavy.

I want to do something to help my peeps out. :(

Peace

Latasia

[queerasme1]

@dukeofdudes if you chose to be gay and are not born that way then are we all born bi and at some stage chose whether to be straight , gay,bi, trans and the list goes on

[DukeofDudes74]

I'm sorry but God will not born you a sinner. People are not born gay. At some point in their life they are faced with a decision whether to act upon feelings of homosexuality. I'm not trying to stir up the hornets nest, just stating in what I believe. Do I hate homosexuals? Nope. Do I accept people for who they are. Absolutely. Do I have to accept their lifestyle? I do not because it is against what I believe in. God, His son Jesus and His word written in the Bible.

[SarajevoKurac]

@MrDouchelord Oh my god that is just stupid. Nothing has ever been about gay people, and sure millions of people like to be nice to homosexuals.

[SarajevoKurac]

@davenjoel Why doesn't the USA government take care of its citizens? Why doesn't the USA have a social system like every other first world nation? Don't question people, question the government.

[dorianstark]

@BigTylerAustin really?!!!? the video didnt depict str8 teens ignored. it depicted a place for homeless gay teens, thats it. no such thing as a heterophobe darlin. its a well known fact as u know, that gays have it very hard in life and a homeless gay has it that much harder.

[dorianstark]

@MrDouchelord didnt u pay attention to the video? gays have it much harder than str8s. ever heard of str8 bashing? NO. gay bashing occurs. known fact. gays do have it harder and a homeless gay has it that much harder. stop trying to use bias prejudices to fit ur twisted phobia.

[BigTylerAustin]

So, these guys will help homeless gay teens, but ignore straight gay teens?

Fucking heterophobes

[MrDouchelord]

Why the hell do gay people have to be treated like they are more special? Being homeless is obviously hard for anyone, gay people making it all about them is why nobody wants to be nice to you.

[BonesDGAF021]

@davenjoel I am with you on this ambition. i wish that God would bless me so that i could adopt or foster all the kids in need and since i've lived my entire adolescent life in the lgbtqia community, these are the youth i am inspired to help out first. they are my family, & i need them to know they are loved. after that i want to take in Haitian kids because some of them have no parents & are also starving from living far BELOW poverty. God help us all if we do nothing to fix this.