Remember Essex County’s Homeless LGBTQ Youth For Pride Month

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — For homeless LGBTQ teens, some of life’s most basic requirements can become a daily struggle. Just ask the residents and staff of New Jersey’s only such shelter for homeless youth, the East Orange-based Rain Foundation.

Recently, the Rain Foundation reached out to Patch with an urgent reminder… the national issue of homelessness among young LGBTQ people is a local one, too.

Learn more about the Rain Foundation and how to apply for help here.

In honor of Pride Month, Elaine Helms, the founder of the Rain Foundation, held a Q&A session with residents about the top issues they feel are most important when it comes to LGBT homelessness.

Those issues included:

Disenfranchisement because of sexual orientation – “Many LGBT homeless youth are kicked out of their homes because of their sexual orientation. And once they find a homeless shelter they can feel misunderstood and discriminated against.”

Not enough safe zone houses for the homeless LGBTQ – “As 40 percent of homeless youth in America identify as LGBTQ, there's a huge need for safe zones for LGBTQ youth… judgement free spaces where they can express themselves.”

LGBT resources not available in every city – “We are located in East Orange, and help house, feed and support as many people as we can. But, with so many LGBT youth in need of support, either because of financial issues or because they were kicked out of their homes by parents and guardians that do not accept them, there's clearly a need for more.”

When housing is available safety is a big issue – “Many LGBT youth are forced to engage in survival sex (sex work because of extreme need) to support themselves. The National Transgender Discrimination Survey found that 10.8 percent of those who responded to their survey participated in sex work. It states, ‘The NTDS found that transgender people overall experience high levels of discrimination in every area of life, as well as high levels of poverty, unemployment, homelessness, negative interactions with police, incarceration, and violent victimization.’ This is obviously a huge safety issue, specifically for people of color who are targeted more often. LGBT youth can also face bullying and sexual assault in homeless shelters not specified to their needs.”

Struggles in finding jobs because of being LGBT – “Inherent bias can shut gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people out of the workplace. Our residents at the RAIN Foundation work incredibly hard to build resumes and work with councilors to prepare for potential careers. However, if they're discriminated against at the work place, it puts yet another hurdle between them and finding gainful employment.”

Edris Grosvenor of Inner Peace Counseling and the Rain Foundation offered Patch the following statement about issues affecting LGBT young adults.

"Most of the LGBT youths who are residents of the shelter and even those in the community are greatly affected by lack of resources and familial support. Almost all of the youths are kicked out of the home or decide to leave because of violence perpetrated towards them by family members once they disclose that they are LGBT. There is not enough accommodation for LGBT youths where they feel safe. As the only LGBT shelter in the state of New Jersey we are constantly overrun by persons seeking shelter but cannot be accommodated because of lack of bed space.

"There is also the issue of discrimination which these youths face every day. Many of them complain of being ignored or treated poorly when seeking supportive services and other services from government agencies. There is also discrimination in the job market. Many complain of being called for interviews but never being called back and states they knew from the reaction of the interviewer it’s because of the sexual identity.

"Many LGBT homeless youths use sex to survive. We had a young woman in our shelter who started off using sex for survival and ended up being trafficked for two years at the tender age of sixteen. Many of them also uses drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism to survive the struggles they face on a daily basis. Many complain of being bullied by their peers or relatives and feel powerless to defend themselves.

"There are reports of sexual abuse and assaults by relatives and strangers alike. Many have taken to carry self defense mechanisms in other to protect themselves for these occurrences. LGBT youths are twice as likely to be called out of their names, harassed, or physically assaulted. Many of those who work complain of not being able to be their true selves for fear of discrimination and fear of being joked about."

• See related article: Montclair 'Power Couple' Safeguarding LGBTQ Rights In New Jersey
• See related article: Hoboken Paints Rainbow Crosswalk For LGBTQ Pride Month

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