A truely horrific statistic that I hope isn't true in regards to gay kids

[dsc]

This whole video is worth watching, but there is a truly horrific statistic in it. 50% of gay kids in the south east get disowned by their parents after they come out. That is flabbergasting. I really hope this guy just is wrong on this.

http://www.cbs46.com/story/26430971/atlanta-non-profit-prepares-midtown-building-to-serve-as-gay-teen-homeless-center

Lost N' Found's director says it is a problem facing hundreds of teens in the Atlanta region, when their parents and churches disown them after they announce their homosexuality.

"People need to know this is an epidemic in the southeast, and it's not going away any time soon," said Executive Director Rick Westbrook. "Until we get all the queer youths in Atlanta situated, I'm not going anywhere."

He said they acquired the turn of the 20th century era Victorian home on Juniper Street from St. Mark's United Methodist Church. The church agreed to lease the long-abandoned building to Lost N' Found for 20 years, at $1 a year.

"I've already paid the rent, yes," said Westbrook, with a smile.

[brer cat]

1. Horrific is apt, dsc. K&R nt

[justhanginon]

2. I guess that is an example of family values and

christian love we hear so much about. How you can do that to your own child or anyone's child is beyond my comprehension.
"Gimme that old time religion" the song goes. I think I'll pass on that, thank you.
Best of luck to the good people at "Lost N' Found".

[RKP5637]

3. Unfit to be parents! Churches, loving and caring, yeah, right, more like tax free hate groups! n/t

[littlemissmartypants]

4. Tragic. eom

[CurtEastPoint]

5. I am so proud to say that Mr. Westbrook lives across the street from me, and yes...

those stories and stats are true. Rick and his crew/board/volunteers are making things better.

Their site: http://www.lost-n-found.org/

and another story:

http://thegavoice.com/lost-n-found-receiving-national-attention-work-helping-atlantas-lgbt-homeless-youth/

[dsc]

6. to be clear I wasn't implying a willful lie by any means

but I was wondering about his sampling in that he deals with a lot of kids who this happens to. This stat is just so high that it is very hard to believe.

[LuvNewcastle]

8. Judging by my friends' experiences and conversations I've had

with people through the years, I'd say that statistic is accurate. I know my evidence is anecdotal, but I've lived in the South for 45 years now, so I think my experiences count for something.

A lot of times the families do come around and eventually accept their son/daughter, but that initial coming out stage can be traumatic. So the disowning is often temporary, but it does happen frequently. A lot is often left unsaid between the parents and the gay children as well. My parents are fundies, so I'm not really able to fully share my life with them. We just don't discuss certain things, and that's the way it stands. If I have a boyfriend, my family will be civil toward him, at least.

The South is a strange place for many who haven't been here and don't know the ins and outs of dealing with people down here. You remember "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil?" The main character didn't want his mother at the trial during the time they discussed his relationship with his dead lover. They asked him, "doesn't your mother know you're gay?" He said, "she's heard it from other people, but she's never heard it from me." That is a good illustration of what a lot of gay people have to deal with in their families down here.

Things are slowly changing down here. There's been real progress toward gaining acceptance of openly gay people in southern society. Here in my town, you can be whoever you are, pretty much, and no one will bother you. But dealing with families is still stressful for a lot of southern gay people. The bars are usually full during the holidays, lol. It's getting better, but we still have a long way to go.

[valerief]

12. High? I'm amazed it's that low. There's no hate like hard-core, fundie

Xtian hate.

[Thespian2]

7. Atlanta

Graduated from university there. Left at age 30; never to return. I can believe, with the mega-churches and people like the Stanleys, that the "religious" people would commit any un-Godly act suggested by the "religious" leaders. What they preach is primarily GREED, followed by how to become a true hater of humans who are not like you. Atlanta, chess-pool of hate, but home to many intelligent, wonderful people like Rick Westbrook.

[conservaphobe]

9. Unfortunately, it's probably pretty accurate.

And religion has everything to do with it.

[catrose]

10. still just anecdotal

but I've no trouble believing it, though I'm further west but still south. If I wanted to be snarky, I'd say, "Yeah, I counted them as they come through the door." My son kept saying, "You can come stay at my house. My parents are cool."

[laundry_queen]

16. I have no problems believing it either (also anecdotal).

I'm in Canada - where we have had legal gay marriage for quite some time now and my daughter (who came out to me 2 years ago) has so many friends that haven't come out - because of their parents. My daughter's first girlfriend finally told her parents after she had been in a relationship with my daughter for 6 months. Her mom pretended it wasn't happening and that it was a 'phase'. My ex-husband has said he probably wouldn't have accepted it if we had a son instead of a daughter which seems to be a theme around here - it's okay for girls to be gay, but not boys. One of my daughter's guy friends has told her he is gay - but no one else because he doesn't think his parents would accept it. Everyone in school still thinks he's a 'stud' with the girls. My daughter had to keep quiet while one of her girl friends had a crush on him because he was so terrified of being 'found out'. It's so incredibly stressful for gay teens.

[Trillo]

11. St. Mark's United Methodist Church cut the org a break?

I hope those kids, when they're older, can find some kind of peace with their pasts.

[kcass1954]

14. My brother belongs to this congregation. It's a very gay friendly church.

See this article at the GAVOICE which recounts the story my brother told me.

http://thegavoice.com/sunday-atlantas-saint-mark-one-largest-gay-friendly-churches-nation/


My brother and my brother-in-law were marching in that parade, and later joined the church. Jon died in 1996, but St. Mark's is still my brother's church home.

Edit to show a live link.

[Fla Dem]

13. "Until we get all the queer youths in Atlanta situated"............

This situation is absolutely despicable and I appreciate what this person is trying to accomplish. But I was somewhat taken aback by his use of the word "queer". I understood this was a derogatory term for the Gay and Lesbian community. Am I wrong?

[kcass1954]

15. Much like the N-word among African-Americans, many LGBT use this term.

While it's not a word that I, as a straight person, would say, my brother uses is frequently.

[applegrove]

17. I've seen gay kids desperate for housing as teens. At a time in their life

when they should be really getting to know who they are, what they are good at, what to study, etc.... they get hit by the two by four of hatred by their families and are put out. It is an economic tragedy too, which you should say to any right winger who doesn't compute the human rights tragedy it is. Cause after all isn't their raison d'etre that as many kids as possible should turn into hard working, boom for the economy young adults? Yet they pull the rug out from under lgbt youth just when they are figuring out how to be productive members of society. How hypocritical is that?

[theHandpuppet]

18. Homelessness is epidemic among LGBT youth

I'm going to repost a couple of articles for folks who might be unaware of the scope of this problem.

Homelessness among LGBT Youth: A National Concern

This article is a couple of months old now but I wanted to bring this subject up again because it's one I've never seen discussed or explored in the mainstream media. If nothing else we can keep the spotlight on it here.
My partner is a big supporter of The Point Foundation, which provides scholarships to LGBTQ youth. I hope you will keep them in mind for your charitable giving. And please, if you know of a charity that assists homeless LGBTQ youth, let us know how we can help.

Homelessness among LGBT Youth: A National Concern
Author: Child Trends | November 18, 2013

For many of us, in November our minds turn toward plans for Thanksgiving, a holiday likely spent at home, surrounded by family. This scenario is far from the reality for many homeless youth in the United States. November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, reminding us that even as we think about what we are grateful for in our lives, we should consider all the work that needs to be done to improve the welfare of this vulnerable group.

Approximately 1.6 million youths in the U.S. experience homelessness for at least one night each year. Additionally, 550,000 unaccompanied youth under the age of 24 are homeless for a week or longer; about 380,000 of these youth are younger than 18. These numbers demonstrate a great need for responses to short- and long-term homelessness among youth.

One group that is particularly at risk for homelessness is lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. LGBT youth are often homeless because they were rejected by their families, schools, and communities for their sexual orientation or gender identity. In a national survey of homeless centers and agencies that serve youth, it was reported that LGBT youth comprise 40 percent of the clientele served. In fact, one in five transgender people in their 30s report having been homeless at some point in their lives. These numbers show that homelessness among youth who are LGBT is much more than a niche problem; understanding and reducing homelessness among these youth is a crucial part of understanding and reducing homelessness, period.

Besides being at greater risk for homelessness, LGBT youth are more likely to become homeless at younger ages. LGBT youth are also more likely to be sexually assaulted on the streets and in shelters. In fact, in one study, 58 percent of lesbian, gay, or bisexual homeless youth reported having been sexually victimized, compared with 33 percent of heterosexual homeless youth. Gay and lesbian youth who experience homelessness are also more likely to be infected with HIV than heterosexual homeless youth.1

Homeless LGBT youth may be less accepted in shelters, programs, and foster homes. Among homeless transgender adults, 55 percent have reported being harassed by shelter staff; 29 percent have reported being turned away by shelters because of their gender identity; and 22 percent have reported being sexually assaulted by residents or staff. Although these statistics do not directly address what happens to transgender youth at homeless shelters, they paint a grim picture of what these and other LGBT youth might face...

- See more at: http://www.childtrends.org/homelessness-among-lgbt-youth-a-national-concern/#sthash.14uB7YRv.dpuf

This next article was posted by William 769:
Homeless for the Holidays: Witnessing the Lives of Homeless LGBT Youth

This is among the most terrible expressions of homophobia in our time.

As LGBT youth come out at younger ages, thousands are driven from their homes by rejecting families. And in a society that has grown increasingly unwilling to support a safety net for the most vulnerable, they are forced to endure homelessness and destitution.

In New York City the statistics are horrifying. LGBT youth make up 40 percent of the homeless youth population, accounting for 1,600 of NYC's 3,800 homeless youth. And NYC's response is even more horrifying: Only 250 youth shelter beds are provided by the city, forcing many youths to sleep in subways, on park benches, in abandoned buildings and on rooftops. And New York City has more shelter beds for LGBT youths than any other city in the nation.

But statistics don't adequately express the horror of what these youths endure. They don't express the suffering these kids go through; the psychological torment of being rejected, feeling unloved, alone and terrified; or the physical torment of the cold, exposure to the elements, hunger and chronic sleep deprivation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carl-siciliano/homeless-for-the-holidays-witnessing-the-lives-of-homeless-lgbt-youth_b_2349018.html

This is how they get start their lives.