new report on homeless gay youth
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, in collaboration with the National Coalition for the Homeless, has released LGBT Youth: An Epidemic of Homelessness, a report which reveals that a staggering 42% of homeless youth (perhaps as high as 670,000 young people) identify as lesbian or gay, a disproportionate number given that only 3 to 5 percent of the entire U.S. population identifies as such.
The report answers some basic questions, including why so many LGBT youth are becoming and remaining homeless, citing the fact that 50% of gay teens experience negative reactions when coming out to their parents and 26% are told they must leave home because of their disclosure. In addition, the report addresses the harassment and violence that many of these youth experience in existing public shelter
systems and summarizes research on critical problems faced by these young people, including mental health issues, substance issues and risky sexual behavior.