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    LGBT Teens | High Risk for Becoming Homeless

    LGBT youth are at high risk for becoming homeless. Due to family and social rejection, abuse and/or conflict, many youth have no choice but to live on the streets, in transitional housing or on acquaintances’ couches. Some LGBT youth are kicked out of their houses, while others choose to leave to protect themselves from a negative home environment.

    Between 20 and 40 percent of all homeless youth are LGBT identified, though some advocates believe this number is under reported (2006 National Gay & Lesbian Task Force: “An Epidemic of Homelessness”). This stands in stark contrast to the estimated 4 to 10 percent of the entire population that is LGBT identified. For LGBT youth who are homeless, 62 percent will attempt suicide at least once — a rate that is more than two times the rate of their heterosexual peers (Van Leeuwen JMm et al – Child Welfare 2005). LGBT youth are roughly 7.4 times more likely to experience acts of sexual violence than heterosexual homeless youth (http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/lgbtq.html).

    Furthermore, LGBT homeless youth are disproportionately likely to also be people of color (read more about issues relating to the LGBT people of color)

    If you are (or someone you know is) a homeless LGBT youth, there is help out there. Here are some resources you can access:

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