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San Antonio’s Homeless LGBTQ Youth Find a Safe Space to Become Themselves [SACurrent.com]

 

The mass shooting at an Orlando gay club this month killed 49 people, wounded at least 50 others, and, in the minds of many within the LGBTQ community, violated a sacred space. In his comments following the tragedy, President Barack Obama called the Pulse nightclub, the site of the massacre, a “sanctuary,” a place to sing, dance, “and most importantly, to be who you truly are” that had been violated by a horrific act of violence.

While a hideous reminder of unvarnished hate, the shooting also underscored another stark reality for many in the LGBTQ community: Safe spaces are really hard to come by. That’s especially true for gay, trans and queer teenagers who are homeless or at risk of ending up on the streets, oftentimes because of family rejection or parents who kick them out because of who they are. According to researchers, LGBTQ youth are vastly overrepresented in the homeless population; according to one national survey, they comprise about 40 percent of people served by agencies that work with the homeless. The national outreach organization Stand Up For Kids estimates that out of about 1,000 homeless youth in the San Antonio area, half identify as LGBTQ.



[For more of this story, written by Michael Barajas, go to http://www.sacurrent.com/the-d...to-become-themselves]

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