Why the focus on GLBTQ?

If you’re paying attention, you’ll notice that this month there is a trend here at the InterNetwork for Youth toward highlighting services for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and/or Questioning youth (GLBTQ). Our April Website of the Month is Out Youth, Inc, in Texas, and our PartnerswithYouth award recipient, Gail Loose, is currently involved in establishing a transitional home for GLBTQ young people in Arizona. You will also notice throughout the month that there will be an effort to add more GLBTQ program links in the Youth Program Directory.

Why all this focus?

While the InterNetwork for Youth advocates for all young people, a specific area of focus is runaway and homeless youth populations (RHY). It can be argued that this specific sub-population of young people is the most at-risk and the least ‘desirable’ population in the eyes of the public -- resulting in them often getting the short end of the stick when options for youth are being discussed. Yet to advocate for RHY populations requires that you advocate for GLBTQ youth. If you don’t, you are ignoring a significant percentage of the population you are attempting to serve.

How significant? As with all demographics related to RHY populations, exact numbers are difficult to obtain. However, there have been numerous studies and surveys completed over the years. I looked at 16 different resources including national reports and studies, as well as local studies from Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Los Angeles, California; Decatur, Illinois; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Ottawa, Canada. On the low end, GLBTQ youth were estimated to be 20% of the RHY population -- that’s 1 in 5 young people on the streets. On the high end, the estimate was 42%; nearly half of all runaway and homeless youth. When you average all the various estimates, it becomes a safe bet to count on 31% of the young people accessing RHY services to self-identify as GLBTQ.

Out of every 10 young people you meet on the streets, at least 3 of them can be expected to identify as GLBTQ. That is too large of a percentage for any program serving RHY population to ignore, or to ‘delegate’ to specialized services.