Homeless LGBTQ Youth

M. Cunningham, M. Pergamit, N. Astone, J. Luna

Researchers and practitioners across the country are working to improve data on homeless youths. As they collect data one consistent finding is that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youths are overrepresented in the homeless population. Though it?s hard to get precise numbers, researchers estimate that LGBTQ youths make up 20 to 40 percent of the homeless youth population but only 4 to 10 percent of the general youth population (Cray, Miller, and Durso 2013). Even the more conservative estimate suggests LGBTQ youths are at higher risk for homelessness than other youths. The homeless youth population suffers from high rates of depression, mental health issues, and suicidal ideation. For LGBTQ homeless youths, however, the cycle of rejection leads to their experiencing worse outcomes. Indeed, when compared with other homeless youths, LGBTQ homeless youths are more likely to experience poor mental health, more likely to exhibit risky sexual behavior and use drugs, more likely to use survival sex and sex trade strategies for coping with their situation, and more likely to be HIV positive. LGBTQ homeless youths face two formidable barriers: they must work to overcome their homelessness and simultaneously deal with stigma, discrimination, and mistreatment due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.