...Unwanted: LGBT Teen Homelessness Keli Beall Kaplan University Unwanted: LGBT Teen Homelessness "We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty." - Mother Teresa Jenny closed her eyes and pictured last year’s Christmas. Her family was all gathered around the tree, everyone wearing smiles and speaking with laughter. It was warm and she was excited not only about the holiday season, but also because she had planned to finally tell her parents about Maggie, her girlfriend of five months. She was a bit worried about how her parents would react but they loved her and would want her to be who she was and to be happy. She couldn’t wait to stop hiding, to stop pretending she was something else. She never thought that would be her last Christmas with her family. She never imagined that a year later she would be living on the streets, cold, scared and hungry watching all the happy families go in and out of the stores and shops. Her parents kicked her out when she broke the news about Maggie. For a while she stayed with friends until there were no more offers of a place to lay her head for the night. She tried shelters until she got beat up one night when someone let it slip she was gay. For a bit she was staying at a home for LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) youth, but they ran out of funding and shut down...
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...Homeless LGBT Youth Patricia Lynard Literature Review SOWK 469 Applied Social Work Research Kofi Danso, Instructor Minnesota State University, Mankato March 6, 2013 Background/Intervention Someone who identifies as homeless LGBT youth is someone who fits into three categories combine. Firstly, they are young usually between the ages of 13-17 years of age. They are also homeless which loosely describes a person without a regular dwelling. There are several reasons why someone may become homeless; some examples include financial difficulties or family problems that force someone out of their home. The last category is an individual who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). It is estimated that people who identify as LGBT make up 20% of the homeless population (Van Leeuwen, Boyle, Salomonsen-Sautel, Baker, Garcia, Hoffman, & Hopfer, 2006). When these categories are combined the individual is considered homeless LGBT youth, which is the focus of this literature review. The interventions for homeless LGBT youth are limited, but they can access local homeless shelters they however run the threat of being harassed by other people using the facilities for their sexual orientation. There a few organizations designed to help the homeless LGBT youth these interventions provide emergency housing for LGBT youth who have either been thrown out or have run away from their homes (Rosario, Schrimshaw, & Hunter, 2012). Purpose The purpose of this literature...
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...and lesbian people in the United States. Information from the Census Bureau taken in September 2011 shows there were 131,729 same-sex married couple households and 514,735 same-sex unmarried partner households in the United States. Although the population is large, in the U.S. only about 50% of the states have laws that specifically protect LGBT individuals against discrimination, especially regarding employment (Nadler, 2014). This population has been targeted by many forms of discrimination. Much of this discrimination can be considered aversive racism, where it isn’t always obvious. This is something that is said to be justifiable (Nadler, 2014). Research shows that people of the LGBT community have a higher likelihood of being homeless, trouble obtaining jobs, and a higher risk for mental illness (Gamarel, 2012). III....
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...LGBT Healthcare Disparity Theresa Sellers Southwestern Oklahoma University LGBT Healthcare Disparity INTRODUCTION There is an increasing progress being made in the equal right of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered) community. Fifteen of the states now recognize at least some of the same rights to same sex couples that are given to heterosexual couples (Krehley, 2009). Despite the progress that has been made, the LGBT population continues to experience worse health outcomes due to poor health insurance coverage, higher rates of stress due to discrimination and cultural incompetency (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health, 2012). Same sex marriage laws and domestic partnership benefits increase the burden of health care costs. A recent study of period in disparities in health insurance coverage of same-sex couples revealed that partnered gay men are less likely (42 percent) as married heterosexual men to get employer-sponsored dependent coverage, and partnered lesbians have an even slimmer chance (28 percent) of getting dependent coverage compared to married heterosexual women. As a result of these much lower rates of employer-provided coverage, partnered lesbians and gay men are more than twice as likely to be uninsured as married heterosexuals. The exclusion of insurance benefits for gay men and women and the failure of domestic partnership benefits to provide equal access to health coverage results into more health spending...
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...Homeless Youth General Education Capstone October 14, 2013 Homeless Youth Homelessness affects many youth today; 46% runaway because they express their gender identity, and or sexual identity because their family rejects them, 43% are kicked out by parents also known as thrown away. Youth also take more things literally then adults, so they feel misunderstood especially when they are opening up about their sexual lifestyle. Homelessness in youth is worldwide and needs a world wide solution. Just to name a few countries that have issues with youth and homelessness; Russia’s homeless population has decreased some since the 1990’s but according to Anna Rudnicki the totals are still around 3,000 – 10,000 homeless street kids. (2013). In Australia the homeless youth rate is “estimates that 50,000 Australians under the age of 24 years are homeless with numbers increasing” With numbers increasing Australia needs to find a situation that will help lower their numbers and help get these teens off the street, Since health issues can become an issue. Another area with a heavy population of homeless youth is in Canada. Every day in Canada you can find homeless kids. “Canada, on any given day it is estimated that there are 150,000 homeless youths on the streets” (Rogers, 2012). Rogers’s states that this is an estimate since most homeless youth do tend to avoid shelters. With every country and every town we can find a teen that is homeless, while being homeless the can become sick, and...
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...Chantal Jackson Mrs.Knebel English 1302_025 19 November 2014 Gay Parenting /Adoption Living in a world that is ever changing; we as people need to take a few steps into the presence so we can see life on a grander spectrum; the bigger picture. Since love does not see color, for the same reason love should not be defined by whether one is gay or straight. Choosing to become a parent in the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, and Transgender community is often perceived as wrong, immoral, and a sin due to religious beliefs. Although, LGBT adoption in the United States is not prohibited certain states across the U.S place barriers on LGBT people from becoming adoptive parents. For example, Mississippi and Utah couples with same sex orientation may not adopt jointly[BL1] . LGBT parenting should be allowed in both marriage equality and non-marital equality states that want to adopt children. Allowing LGBT’s to adopt children could increase adoption rates and help “provide homes for half-million children in need of foster care” (Johnson). Since same sex couples cannot physically have children, other options such as traditional and gestational surrogates are put in place to undergo pregnancy. Surrogacy can be expensive, complicated, and a big decision for any couple, Forcing many to look into adoption agencies. Placing children in a “nurturing environment where they can learn how to handle their feelings in a appropriate way, develop good relationships, succeed in schools...
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...has an outwards, tangible and extremely present effect on a person’s life. This is especially true if they identify under an umbrella of sexuality or gender expression that does not conform to or match the overall consensus on “normal sexuality” or majority sexuality. Those under the LGBT umbrella within the prison system have a unique set of challenges they must face compared to their fellow heterosexual or cisgender prison mates. Even further, trans people and individuals find themselves in a unique situation because they are often assigned to a prison based upon their birth sex, but not their gender identity. While homosexual inmates have been found to statistically be already at a higher risk for sexual violence and sexual abuse while in prison, transgender inmates have even higher risks when assigned by their birth sex; a trans woman who had undergone sexual reassignment surgery being placed in a men’s prison, for example, can face an extreme amount of sexual violence compared to if she was, instead, assigned to an all female prison. There is a need for action to be done for LGBT youth, but also inwards by the prison system to improve its rules, standards and practices when dealing with LGBT prisoners and homosexuality in general. To begin, one must look at the state of how lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans inmates hold up against their heterosexual inmates. Due to homosexuality being considered an illegal act, punishable by imprisonment, in over eighty countries in the...
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...lead to them being homeless. (Coalition for the Homeless). World War II, Korea, The Cold War, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, anti-drug cultivation efforts in South America, Afghanistan, and Iraq are place where homeless veterans have served. (National Coalition for Homeless Veterans) “The United States Department of Veterans Affair (VA) estimates that on a given night 250,000 veterans are homeless nationwide, and that as many as half a million veterans experience homelessness in the course of a year; this represents around two percent of all living American veterans. All but 3 percent of homeless veteransare men, and 56 percent are black or Latino. Approximately 45 percent suffer from mental illness, and more than two-thirds suffer from substance abuse disorders. More than two-thirds of homeless veterans served in the armed forces for at least three years, and 47 percent served in the Vietnam War.” (Coalition for the Homeless) Estimating about 500,000 veterans each year has experienced homelessness at some point, the VA has only reported that it homeless treatment and community-based assistance network serves only 100,000 veterans for the whole calendar year. That is leave 70 percent (400,000) veterans without service from the department which is responsible for supping them. (National Coalition for Homeless Veterans) In 1888 the federal government was deeded 400 acres in West Los Angeles for homeless disabled veterans. This campus has outpatient services along with...
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...Creating a Social Program HSM/240 Amanda Nelson Marilyn Gardner July 1, 2013 The social issue that “Striving for the Future”, plans to help correct is homelessness in America specifically East Tennessee. The individuals who are homeless are more often than others unable to acquire and maintain regular, safe, secure, and adequate housing. The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country to country, or among different entities or institutions in the same country or region. The term homeless may also include people whose primary night-time residence is in a homeless shelter, a warming center, a domestic violence shelter, cardboard boxes or other ad hoc housing situations. “An estimated 100 million people worldwide were homeless in 2005. In western countries, the large majority of homeless are men (75-80%), with single males particularly overrepresented. In the USA, LGBT people are over-represented among homeless youth, at 40%. Modern homelessness started as a result of economic stresses in society and reductions in the availability of affordable housing. In the United States, in the 1970s, the deinstitutionalization of patients from state psychiatric hospitals was a precipitating factor in urban areas. By the mid-1980s, there was also a dramatic increase in family homelessness. Tied into this were an increasing number of impoverished and runaway children, teenagers, and young adults, which created more street children or street youth. Most countries provide...
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...in the eponymous Disney series with her squeaky-clean image in the media. After leaving her Disney cocoon for a while, she still makes her appearance in the public as a singer, however, whatever the identities that the media have constructed her as, Miley Cyrus is nowhere near the same squeaky-clean girl she used to be. The 23-year-old pop icon has been extensively regarded in the media as a degenerate role model and on the contrary, a humanitarian who is charitable towards the community, a feminist who has taken her stance on LGBT rights and lastly, a capable singer. We will be deconstructing the linguistic aspects in terms of appraisal grammar in the media and how they can effect a person’s image, through two articles, coupled with visual features from a cover photograph of Papermag 2015 issue. Miley Cyrus is portrayed in the first chosen article called “Free to be Miley” as the most unlikely social activist who cares about the problems of homelessness with her impressive amount of charity work ever since her career peak, gender inequality and animal rights. Meanwhile, “Bad influence or hero to feminism” addresses Miley as a bad role model owing to the notoriety of her inappropriate behaviours and clothing in her singing career. Finally, the photograph from Papermag The first written text I will be examined is called “Free to be Miley” by Amanda Petrusich, which was in the issue 2015 of Papermag. The article revolves around cultural and social perspective of Miley Cyrus as...
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...Helping the T in LGBT When you were born, your parents welcomed a healthy baby boy or girl into the world. Depending on your sex, you were given a pink or blue blanket, and “male” or “female” was written on your birth certificate. From then on, specific gender roles are assigned to you, and you are expected to follow societies rules associated with those roles. You’re expected to identify and present yourself in ways that mirror your sex and gender. This is not a problem, for most of us. We have no qualms with our gender identity. You may be a girl and do things that aren’t particularly girly, or a boy who enjoys things that are traditionally feminine, but otherwise you are content in the gender identity that you’ve known from birth. “When it comes to gender, we live in a binary society. Individuals are expected to be either male or female. But gender is not black and white. Many of us do not meet societal definitions of a male or female (Keppler).” So what if you grew up feeling conflicted with the idea of binary and aren’t comfortable with your gender identity? You were born a girl, and everyone around you expects you to act like a girl, but you feel as if you are a boy. It’s more serious than just wanting to be a tomboy, or rough housing with the guys. You feel as if you were born in the wrong body entirely. You were meant to be male. You struggle with this idea for a long time, and it’s very difficult. Eventually you find out that this is called being transgender...
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...Applying Ethics in Practice Ieesha Dixson BSHS335 05/20/2013 Teresa Levesque Applying Ethics in Practice A situation that I might find myself, as a human service professional, where my personal values could become an ethical issue would be if someone began to bash the LGBT community or saying anything negative regarding the “lifestyle”. As a person that is a part of this community I would be offended. I would try to defend my community to the best of my ability because it is hard enough being a part of this lifestyle and to have people keep criticizing our lives is not fair. Not to mention the whole marriage issue that is happening around us. Another personal value that could become an ethical issue is homelessness, as a person that has been homeless I know how it feels to not know where you would sleep at night and if I sleep in my car would I be safe. There are a number of young people that are becoming homeless and something needs to be done to figure out why the youth of today are becoming homeless. As of April of 2013 I have been able to obtain my low income apartment for a year and I am proud of myself because I put my all into getting a place to stay that I feel comfortable in and not have to worry. This is one of those situations where a person would have to start with the base problems to obtain their major goal. It is hard and it takes a lot of work to stay motivated. This could become an issue because if I was to hear someone down grade another person...
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...about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) rights in the US. More specifically it will give an answer to the main research question which is ‘What differences are there in the acceptance of LGBT rights, concerning same-sex marriage, throughout the US?’. The answer will be found with the use of the following sub-questions: - What are LGBT rights?(through a literature research) - What difficulties do LGBT people face in everyday life (related to LGBT rights)?(through a literature/statistical research) - How did LGBT rights develop...
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...Transgender (LGBT) Youth in America Teela Oxendine-Cummings CST5334 – Ethnic and Cultural Awareness Capella University Abstract This paper presents an overview of what is known about suicide and suicidal behavior among LGB youth. For the intention of this paper, the term youth is generally defined as people age 15 through 24. In developing this paper, the learner reviewed the relevant literature published from 1996 through 2011; researched suicide prevention and mental health support programs, and researched services for LGBT youth. After summarize research findings about the higher risk of suicidal behavior for LGBT youth, the paper explores risk and protective factors for this group and provides suggestions to the field that is used to reduce suicidal behavior among LGBT youth. Table of Contents Research Paper Title…………………………………………………………1 Higher Risks of Suicide among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) youth in America…1 Abstract …………………………………………………. 2 Table of Contents………………………………………..3-4 Introduction…..…………………………………………..5 Overview on Suicide ……………………………5 Illustration of the LGBT Youth………….............5-6 Sexual Orientation and Suicide………………...6-7 Scope of the Problem : Suicidal Behaviors ………….7 Suicide Deaths Among LGBT Youth…………...7 Suicide Attempts Among LGBT Youth…………7-8 Suicide Ideation Among LGBT Youth………….8 Conclusion on Suicidal Behaviors of LGBT Youth…9 Scope of Challenges faced by LGBT Youth………….9 ...
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...students’ and educate Cis students on the danger of bullying. You may ask yourself, why don’t parents do anything about it? Well that is another dilemma we need to address. Many Trans students suffer from their parents Transphobic comments. However, that is not the worst, some parents take it even farther. They use something called “conversion therapy”. Conversion therapy is a practice that tries to change or convert someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Such practices have been rejected by every mainstream medical and mental health organization for decades, but due to continuing social bias against LGBT community, some practitioners continue to conduct conversion therapy. Why is it so bad you may ask, well studies conducted on the effects of this so-called “conversion therapy” say that conversion therapy can lead to depression, anxiety, drug use, homelessness, and suicide. In fact, New Jersey, California, Oregon, Illinois, New York, and Vermont have passed laws stating a licensed medical professional is prohibited from offering a minor conversion therapy as...
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