Gay and Homeless for the Holidays

Since coming out I have met many LGBT individuals who have been rejected by their families because of their God-given sexual orientation - something these individuals never chose. Typically, the parents of these rejected individuals are quick to cite their "religious faith" as their justification for their horrible, un-Christian, and heartless behavior towards their own children. As a parent of three children myself, I truly do not understand how one could be so hate-filled as to reject their own child. The mind set is nothing short of evil and, as the Los Angeles Times notes a disproportionate number of homeless teens and young adults are gay. Sadly, these homeless are the victims of a form of religion that in my view has become a foul evil in and of itself. Here are highlights from the LA Times story:
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Every year, hundreds of gay youths end up on the streets of L.A. County, where they make up a disproportionate share of the people under 25 who are homeless. 'They haven't been on the streets for years and years,' an advocate says, 'so they don't look bad.
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The city hipsters sipping expensive coffee and chatting on cellphones did not give a second look at the two young men cutting across a Hollywood courtyard on their way to bed down in a nearby park.
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AJ, 23, and his boyfriend, Alex, 21, hide their blankets and duffel bags in bushes. They shower every morning at a drop-in center and pick out outfits from a closet full of used yet youthful attire.
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A recent study found that 40% of the homeless youths in Hollywood, a gathering spot for these young people, identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual or unsure of their sexual orientation. Five percent say they are transgender.
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Gay and transgender youths become homeless for the same reasons as others their age. Many come from families with a history of abuse, neglect, addiction, incarceration or mental illness. But they say their sexual or gender identity often plays a role in the breakdown of their families. "Queer" was among the more polite names Christopher was called while growing up, before he even knew what the barbs meant.
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When he turned 18, he said, his grandmother kicked him out of the family home. She filed a restraining order against him in court. . . . I been hearing about my peers committing suicide because of the teasing and bullying … and of course I understand," he said, staring at a web of scars on his left forearm. "But then I go, 'How come that's not my story? Why didn't you kill yourself? How did you make it through all that?'"
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AJ was just 16 when his Vietnamese immigrant father told him to get out of his house, unable to accept his admission that he was gay. Any effeminate gesture, AJ said, would drive his father to beat him. For a time, AJ moved between the homes of friends and relatives in California and Colorado while he worked a succession of jobs. Some paid well enough for him to get his own apartment. But, he said ruefully, "It has been hard to sustain my sobriety." When he was fired from his last job in July, he had no place to go but the streets.
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For some gay youths alienated from their families, the foster care system provides sanctuary. But too often, said Costello, the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center's associate director for children, youth and family services, they bounce between foster parents and group homes until they turn 18. Once emancipated, they have nowhere to go.
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Yes, some accuse me of being anti-religion, but when I see alleged Christians treat their own children as if they were garbage, I cannot help but believe the death of this poisonous form of Christianity would be a good thing. The world would be a better place without it.