social media - getting the issue of LGBTQ youth and homelessness out of the closet

A large number of youth in Philadelphia face social and economic uncertainty, unemployment and homelessness. In Philadelphia’s communities, the prevalence of violence, crime, and poverty presents significant barriers to the well-being of young people and produces a climate in which more and more of the city’s youth are compelled to practice high-risk behaviors. For LGBTQ youth in Philadelphia, these risk factors are intensified due to the climate of homophobia that pervades their everyday lives. Many LGBTQ youth living in Philadelphia have been involved with the foster care or juvenile justice systems, have dropped out of high school, and/or have experienced pervasive discrimination from family, friends, and the community. Without adequate services and programs specifically designed to meet the needs of this highly vulnerable and unique community, these youth are susceptible to crime, poor-health outcomes, HIV/AIDS infection, and negative valuation of self. LGBTQ young adults in Philadelphia also face significant barriers within the educational system and the workforce related to both their sexual orientation. Bullying, harassment, violence, and exclusion in urban school systems result in many LGBTQ youth becoming truant and/or dropping out of school. Additionally, due to a lack of support in school systems and a gap in social services for this population, many are propelled into a vulnerable position and have a difficult time maintaining employment and developing basic career skills. The workforce is no different than the educational and social service systems- A report by the Kaiser Foundation indicates that almost 20% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people living in urban areas reported employment discrimination. Altogether, risk factors such as poverty, crime, and truancy, coupled with employment discrimination due to sexual orientation make LGBTQ young adults particularly vulnterable. Unfortunately, many will find themselves dropping out of school without a marketable set of career skills. In addition to lack of marketable career skills, the issue of homelessness is a significant issue for this population. According to the Department of Human Services (DHS), LGBTQ youth enter the foster care system at a disproportionately high rate because of homophobia and transphobia in their homes, schools and social settings. Once in the foster care system, LGBTQ youth report being at high risk of discrimination and harassment in the very settings where they are placed to be protected from abuse. In a recent report of Philadelphia youth aging out of care, the majority of the participating youth were homeless within three months of leaving care and 2 out of 5 were immediately homeless upon discharge. Many of the surveyed youth expressed frustration about the lack of services or housing to aid them with their transition from care. In an effort to address this issue of homelessness and provide services for youth aging out of foster care, Pennsylvania has developed three housing programs that are state-funded programs, which provide housing for youth who are aging out of foster care and/or youth who are runaway and homeless between the ages of 18 to 21. None of these programs are designed to meet the unique needs of LGBTQ youth. Programs that are in existence are: SIL Supervised Independent Living TLP Transitional Living Program SHP Supportive Housing Program In total these programs serve 313 youth between the ages of 16 to 21. There is an estimated 3,275 homeless youth in the city of Philadelphia. Despite the overwhelming evidence placing LGBTQ youth at a higher risk for being placed in foster care and ending up homeless, there is no transitional housing in the city of Philadelphia providing LGBTQ youth a safe place to live with the support of program specially designed for their needs.