LGBTQ Youth: Homelessness and the Struggle to Belong

Ellie Cavazos

Feminist Studies 80

Kristin Conover

                        LGBTQ Youth: Homelessness and the Struggle to Belong

Our group has chosen to focus on LGBTQ Youth and the various issues that are tied to this specific subgroup. For my individual blog post I have chosen to write about LGBTQ Youth and more specifically how bullying affects their experiences in the home and in school leading countless teenagers to become homeless and, in some cases, victims of suicide. Furthermore, I will look at the reasons why teens resort to homelessness be it the simple lack of concern, support in the household or even more so face rejection in their relationships and friendships with their parents, siblings and peers. Running away from home is a reality that many LGBTQ identified teenagers come to cope with to escape judgment and neglect. Feelings of safety and welcoming attitudes are provided by safe havens for LGBTQ youth such as Larkin Street Youth Services.  They are one of many support programs that assist LGBTQ youth to get back on their feet as they nurture an environment to prepare youth for success. Neglect and bullying in school on top of the lack of support in the home lead  some to homelessness and in very unfortunate cases, suicide as detailed by a news article featured on Rolling Stones’s website concerning a school district in Minneapolis that has cultured anti-gay sentiments and agendas. 

Think back to your teenage years. Weren’t they a difficult time? Trying to figure yourself out, yelling at your parents for not allowing you to be out after school hours, getting upset because you had a maximum time allowed to talk on the phone? It was a time of inner crisis.  As if this time was not excruciating enough, some teenagers find it unbearable due to their sexual and/or gender identification.  While the onset of puberty brings physical awkwardness and confusion of the changes the body is undergoing during that time, LGBTQ identified youth face a battle in itself during the midst of an already unstable period of change. In Gayle Rubin’s article, “Thinking Sex” the importance of family support is emphasized, “Families play a crucial role in enforcing sexual conformity…Many families respond by trying to reform, punish, or exile sexually offending members. Many sexual migrants have been thrown out by their families, and many others are fleeing from the threat of institutionalization” (Rubin, 22).  What Rubin is conveying in these couple of lines is that the family provides a space of safety. When that home space is threatened by a foreign force that appears to intervene and/or disrupt the home, it can either be reconciled with or done away with.  Seems like a double-edged sword, right? Although a family may be “ok” with the thought of having a family member who identifies as LGBTQ, they may not be accepting and may not entirely welcome this family member. Ousting someone entirely has similar characteristics and is detrimental to that person’s sense of belonging. In Nan Stein’s article, “Bullying, Harassment and Violence Among Students”, she details an approach that focuses on support through involvement. One of her strategies in combatting the zero tolerance policy and sexual harassment is by parent involvement, “Involve parents- both through open community forums as well as in private discussions, especially if their children are involved in incidents of sexual harassment. One technique that I have seen used is providing the classroom lessons to the parents, having them do the assignments on sexual harassment, and also having them view the students’ work. It can be very enlightening for them” (Stein 33).  Parent involvement during this window of time is critical in showing their children that they do have a support system. Even though they may not be completely comfortable with the idea of their child’s identification, with this strategy, it is hoped that they will be work towards overcoming differences. In some parts of our nation, anti-gay sentiments are openly addressed and because of this hostile environment many LGBTQ teens have resorted to suicide. School officials ignored students accounts of bullying, at home they were not welcome and the ultra-conservative  views of their community all contributed to the domino-effect of suicides in their school district.

I have included a YouTube video of Larkin’s Street Services. They are located in San Francisco and have become a safe space for LGBTQ identified youth who are homeless.  Not only do they provide resources for the LGBTQ community but facilitate programs and are a solid support system

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=48mC89f6PgA

Works Cited

  Erdely, Sabrina R. "One Town's War on Gay Teens | Politics News | Rolling Stone." Rolling Stone | Music News, Politics, Reviews, Photos, Videos, Interviews and More. Web. 05 Feb. 2012. <http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/one-towns-war-on-gay-teens-20120202?page=5>.

  Nardi, Peter M., and Beth Schneider. "Thinking Sex: Notes for a Radical Theory of the Politics of Sexuality." Social Perspectives in Gay and Lesbian Studies. Print.

  Stein, Nan. "Bullying, Harassment and Violence Among Students." Radical Teacher80: 49-51. Print.