The figures are staggering. Between 1.6 million to 2.8 million homeless youth in our country! More staggering still is the data that shows up to 40 percent of those homeless are LGBT youth.
For some reason I never considered homelessness as an LGBT issue but the figures speak clearly, it is. The reasons for these kids ending up on the street are myriad, but they share some disturbing similarities.
A report from the Center for American Progress shows 58 percent of them are victims of sexual assault. This is much higher than their straight counterparts. Additionally, 62 percent suffer discrimination from their families because of their sexual orientation. I would imagine that is a big cause of the problem.
The report is eye-opening and worth your time to read. Beyond understanding the problem is doing something about it. That will take both our community and our local state and federal governments getting involved and working to change this.
— Hardy Haberman, Dungeon Diary
The behavior of many north Oak Cliff residents this week at a town hall meeting about homeless persons was disturbing. Their mass hysteria resulted from outrageous false presumptions and was similar to the hysteria in recent healthcare reform town hall meetings and tea parties. Fortunately most residents, and almost all gay residents, didn’t buy their prejudges and misinformation and avoided the meeting described in the DMN as a Jerry Springer show without the tossed chairs.
Thank you for giving us facts regarding homeless persons so we can base our opinions and emotions on reality.
I will say Im fortunate to have a job, make a paycheck and can live fine at the age of 38. Ive been out of the country many times and even trips to Mexico to parts that are not major tourist areas so you can see cardboard city, which is shocking. These countries are considered 3rd world, but in the USA we shouldn’t have this issue at all or people tend to be oblivious to it or when they come upon a person asking for spare change, but are heading into a bar for a $7 drink. I know there is a city law now that the homeless will be arrested for soliciting for money but what a waste of city money and taxes rather then working on a better solution to help. Seeing a cop wasting tax payers money and the city time arresting a homeless person they should be offering a ride to one of the many shelters if they want help. Some people are homeless, which becomes helpless and then end up being hopeless… so to spare some change or even a dollar to someone that actually has spent all day standing on a city street corner in 100 degree heat or 30 degrees and freezing takes serious determination. Its not like they can just get dressed and head out for an interview for job, its not that easy as people say, even more so now due to the economy. There are not enough city resources to actually take care of the undetermined number of people in Dallas alone. If my $1 or change for a homeless person is to support a habit, even a drinking, smoking or a drug habit. Most have not even a clue or perception of what it means to being homeless, but 3 or 4 paychecks lost due to a job loss and anyone could end up on the street., thats for real. I do ask a question when I give my change or dollar, “what are you going to spend it on”? Most will say food or bus fare etc, but even the homeless that tell the truth and say I need a bottle of booze or I have a habit, need smokes etc…..I certainly wont judge them if that is all they have to be happy in life for even just a moment to make it through the day or night to keep going. I have room to spare and willing to open my apt to a young teen that has been discarded of to help. I wish the article would have been more specific on contact information for those who can offer help rather than waiting on the city or federal government waiting on reform that will be caught in red tape for years and never be fixed. We have to get involved, each of us.