I frequently look at the consequences of homophobia and the vile actions of "godly Christians" who do all they can to make life a living Hell for LGBT individuals. One of the most disgusting aspects of the anti-LGBT drumbeat coming from pulpits and the professional Christian set is that it convinces parents that they are justified in disowning their LGBT children. As a parent myself, I can think of few things more morally sick than to reject one's own child simply because they are who God (assuming there is a God) made them to be. Yet far too many parents continue to take this perverse action, demonstrating again - at least to me - that religion is too often one of the greatest forces for evil on the face of the planet. A new study shows that even in relatively liberal Massachusetts nearly 25% of gay teens are homeless. Here are some highlights from Opposing Views:*
A new study by Children’s Hospital Boston looks at the incidence of homelessness among high school youth in Massachusetts and finds a distinct disparity among youth who are homeless. The study, which finds that roughly 1 in 4 lesbian and gay teens and 15 percent of bisexual teens are homeless compared to 3 percent of exclusively heterosexual teens, is the first of its kind to look at population based data. Children’s Hospital Boston quotes Heather Corliss, the study’s author saying, “Prior studies in homeless street youth have found that sexual minorities occur in much higher numbers than we’d expect based on their numbers in the community in general. This study looked at the magnitude of the difference for the first time.”
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Children’s Hospital Boston is quick to point out that the “study has limitations in being done only in Massachusetts, where attitudes toward [being LGBT] tend to be more favorable, so it possibly underestimates the proportion of G[ay] L[esbian] B[i] youth that are homeless nationally.”
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Highlighting the very real impacts of homelessness on gay and transgender youth is essential in the effort to address homelessness on a national level. As Corliss told The Advocate, “These teens face enormous risks and all types of obstacles to succeeding in school and are in need of a great deal of assistance.” The Advocate goes on to say, “Less than 5% of the more than 6,000 high school students surveyed identified themselves as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. But those students accounted for 19% of the homeless. Among straight students, 3.2% were homeless.”
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Unfortunately, mainstream media has done little to elevate these stories and garner support for ending homelessness among all youth, including youth that are gay and transgender. While The Boston Globe covers the story in their medical news blog, the majority of the coverage has come from LGBT outlets such as The Advocate, Europe’s Pink News, and LGBTQNation, along with New England’s LGBT Newspaper, Bay Windows.
A new study by Children’s Hospital Boston looks at the incidence of homelessness among high school youth in Massachusetts and finds a distinct disparity among youth who are homeless. The study, which finds that roughly 1 in 4 lesbian and gay teens and 15 percent of bisexual teens are homeless compared to 3 percent of exclusively heterosexual teens, is the first of its kind to look at population based data. Children’s Hospital Boston quotes Heather Corliss, the study’s author saying, “Prior studies in homeless street youth have found that sexual minorities occur in much higher numbers than we’d expect based on their numbers in the community in general. This study looked at the magnitude of the difference for the first time.”
*
Children’s Hospital Boston is quick to point out that the “study has limitations in being done only in Massachusetts, where attitudes toward [being LGBT] tend to be more favorable, so it possibly underestimates the proportion of G[ay] L[esbian] B[i] youth that are homeless nationally.”
*
Highlighting the very real impacts of homelessness on gay and transgender youth is essential in the effort to address homelessness on a national level. As Corliss told The Advocate, “These teens face enormous risks and all types of obstacles to succeeding in school and are in need of a great deal of assistance.” The Advocate goes on to say, “Less than 5% of the more than 6,000 high school students surveyed identified themselves as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. But those students accounted for 19% of the homeless. Among straight students, 3.2% were homeless.”
*
Unfortunately, mainstream media has done little to elevate these stories and garner support for ending homelessness among all youth, including youth that are gay and transgender. While The Boston Globe covers the story in their medical news blog, the majority of the coverage has come from LGBT outlets such as The Advocate, Europe’s Pink News, and LGBTQNation, along with New England’s LGBT Newspaper, Bay Windows.
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