GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL,
TRANSGENDER, (GLBT) HOMELESS YOUTH
18 year-old Anthony was
raised by his mother for most of his life. His father has lived in
another state since Anthony was 3 and he rarely visits. Anthony’s
mother has known that he is gay for a long time but Anthony just came
out to her a year ago. She was very accepting but his father was not.
Three months ago, Anthony’s mother died from cancer and Anthony moved in
with his grandmother. His grandmother was very negative about Anthony’s
orientation; she called him homophobic names and threatened to call the
police if he brought any boys to the house. Last week she told Anthony
he had to leave because she would not have his sexuality ruin her.
Anthony packed up his things and went to the house of an older male who
had let a couple of Anthony’s friends move in when they had been kicked
out. Anthony is not capable of supporting himself yet and he’s afraid
of going to a homeless shelter because of stories he’s heard from
others.
STATEMENT OF
THE ISSUE
Numerous research studies conducted over the past decade
find that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) youth make up
25-40% of the homeless youth population in NYC and other large cities.
One study found half of 432 homeless youth surveyed identified as gay,
lesbian, or bisexual (Clatts, et al., 1996). In addition, research
studies of homeless GLBT youth find that they suffer from greater levels
of violence and trauma, higher rates of HIV infection, have greater
mental health needs, and engage in greater levels of substance abuse
than their straight counterparts in the homeless youth population. With
the ever increasing visibility of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgender people in our society, more teens are finding the courage to
“come out of the closet” at younger ages (Savin-Williams, 1998).
Many youth create their own families on the streets and
often find greater acceptance through street culture than from their own
biological families. However, GLBT youth are at a higher risk than
their heterosexual peers on the street because of homophobia,
transgender phobia (“trans-phobia”), and prejudices (Grethel, 1997).
Non-heterosexual homeless youth are at a higher risk of the dangers of
the street like drug abuse, assault, and becoming involved in sex work.
Sex work can be very tempting to a young “trans”, or transgender person
who is looking to affirm their identity and make some money when they
are meeting with discrimination on their job search. Societal
homophobia creates a hostile atmosphere for youth entering shelters that
are open to the general homeless population, resulting in GLBT youth
often becoming victims of crime like physical and sexual assault, theft,
and sexual harassment.
Over the course
of a year, many GLBT youth are homeless in NYC. From November 2002
until November 2003, 193 calls of GLBT youth seeking shelter were made
to one homeless GLBT youth crisis program in NYC. It can be safely
assumed that this is a small representation of the total number of
homeless GLBT youth in NYC seeking shelter each night.
Transgender youth face an even more difficult time when
attempting to transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency.
Obtaining a job is the primary mode for homeless youth to begin to
support themselves and it is often a major goal that caseworkers plan
with clients from this population. In order to obtain a job, however,
one needs appropriate identification. Transgender (“trans”) youth are
easily discriminated against when it comes to producing identification
because if they even have it, their identification often contradicts how
they appear. Further, even though our society is becoming less
homophobic in some ways, it continues to harbor dangerous trans-phobia.
This knowledge prevents many trans youth from easing into becoming a
successful, healthy adult.
GLBT youth report being subjected to harassment, threats,
and violence in shelters catering to the general homeless youth
population. The majority of this harassment comes from other youth but
some comes from shelter staff. In recent years there has been an
escalation of gang activity at homeless youth service centers. Gangs
such as the Bloods, Crips, and Latin Kings seek to recruit youth into
gangs at such sites. As these gangs are actively homophobic, their
prevalence in homeless youth service settings has made it more difficult
for GLBT youth to feel safe and stay safe. The majority of homeless
GLBT youth choose to survive on the streets, (often through
prostitution, thereby placing them at escalated risk for HIV infection),
rather than to experience violence and abuse in the shelters.
CURRENT
SERVICES
Unfortunately, there are currently only 22 emergency shelter
beds (funded in a variety of ways) in NYC dedicated specifically to GLBT
youth. There is only 1 transitional living program, with 10 beds,
dedicated specifically to serving GLBT youth. As a result, it has a
very long waiting list. There are also some drop-in centers that
welcome GLBT youth, with one program specifically serving this
population.
SERVICE GAPS
Assuming that there are anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000
homeless youth in NYC, it can be further assumed that there are
approximately 3,500 to 7,000 homeless GLBT youth in NYC. With only 22
crisis beds available to this population, they are vastly underserved.
As the GLBT youth population is documented to have specific needs, and
because this population is not being adequately or safely served in the
general homeless youth programs, it is appropriate that GLBT youth
receive a proportional share of the resources made available to the
homeless youth population.
Many youth seeking assistance from the GLBT homeless youth programs in
NYC report that they are treated poorly and discriminated against in
shelters. It is clear that despite the existence of a few various
individual providers and agencies, societal prejudice continues to be
very present and not handled successfully.
Existing programs/shelters for the general homeless youth
population are inadequately prepared to work with trans youth. The
timelines and expectations put upon trans youth are unrealistic based on
their specific needs. They may take longer to obtain identification,
adapt to expectations, and learn how to handle difficult questions on
job interviews or in the workplace.
RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LGBT YOUTH
·
GLBT youth comprise 25-40%
of the overall homeless youth population in NYC. At minimum, it is
suggested that 25% of the DYCD dollars available for homeless youth in
NYC be dedicated to specific initiatives to improve the shelter and
housing conditions of the GLBT youth population.
The city needs to ensure that, at minimum, 100 beds are available to
GLBT youth nightly, and that skilled mental health care, substance abuse
treatment, HIV prevention, and medical treatment is adequately available
to them. DYCD could help existing GLBT youth programs expand or open
new programs.
·
All homeless youth
shelters must be made safer for GLBT youth.
· All employees at any youth shelter receiving DYCD
funds should be made to undergo GLBT sensitivity training, and all
future employees should undergo such training before they are allowed to
work with youth.
·
Also, the City should
contract with an outside agency, such as the Anti-Violence Project, to
monitor the safety of
GLBT youth in shelters.
·
A program for
trans-youth should be created, in order to recognize the specific need
of this population.
REFERENCES:
Clatts, M.C., Hillman, D.J., Atillasoy, A., and Davis, W.R. (1996).
Lives in the balance: A profile of homeless youth in
New York City Youth at
Risk, National Development and Research Institutes, New York.
Grethel, M.M. (1997).
Homeless lesbian and gay youth: Assessment and Intervention.
Pride and Prejudice:
Working with lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth.
Central Toronto Youth Services: Toronto, Ontario.
Savin-Williams,
R.C. (1998). The
disclosure to families of same-sex attractions by lesbian, gay, and
bisexual youths.
Journal of Research on Adolescence, 8, 49-68.
