How sad: Large Number of Gay Homeless Youth
Wednesday, January 31st, 2007 | Email this to a friend | Print this
Posted by John under: Days of Lot
AN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — A new study has found that a large percentage of homeless youth are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, and San Francisco is no exception to the rule.
Jesus said, “It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.”
—Luke 17:2
Of the approximately 4,000 teenagers living on the streets in San Francisco, an estimated 800 to 1,600 are LGBT, according to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. That translates to 20 to 40 percent of the homeless youth population.
“There are a multitude of reasons why these young people become homeless. But ultimately, family conflict is the primary cause,” said Nick Ray of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
He added that there are factors that keep them on the streets too, like discrimination at runaway shelters and other social services centers.