NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The holiday season is a perfect time to get cozy at home with friends and family. Unfortunately, many LGBTQ people – especially queer youth – don’t have that option. They’re forced to spend their winter nights in homeless shelters or on the streets.
A University of Chicago study found that LGBTQ+ youth have a 120% increased risk of experiencing homelessness, compared to their cisgender and/or heterosexual peers. Advocates say in some scenarios, they ran away due to homophobia and transphobia. Or maybe they didn’t want to leave home, but their parents kicked them out because they were LGBTQ.
The Ali Forney Center shares dozens of these stories each year during their annual Homeless for the Holidays campaign. The New York City non-profit is the nation’s largest community center focused on housing and providing services to queer homeless youth.
Alex Roque, the center’s director, says the Homeless for the Holidays campaign began in 2011 when the organization noticed this was an especially difficult time for queer youth. He joins us on the It’s Okay to Say Gay podcast along with Sammie Crawford, another Ali Forney employee. Crawford shares her personal experience getting kicked out of her home at age 20 and ending up at the center.
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