As part of the recent Safer To Be Me Symposium, we are proud to be sharing our Safer To Be Me: Global Voices blog series, showcasing LGBTQ+ themes from around the globe, written by ReportOUT volunteers.
This week’s blog comes from ReportOUT Researcher, Riley Campbell from the USA, who opens up the hidden trend of youth homelessness amongst the LGBTQ+ community in her home country.
Homelessness has been on the rise in the US since the 1980s (Herring et al., 2020). As of 2020, there were roughly three million people experience homelessness in the US, and the numbers continue to rise (Herring et al., 2020). Homelessness is a complex issue with effects that stretch far beyond simply not having a shelter from the elements (Giannini, 2016). Homelessness is intersectional in terms of racial, gender and class differences (Giannini, 2016). Homelessness is characterized by living in poverty and being insecure with regards to shelter, food, security and privacy (Bassuk, Hart, Donovan, 2019). Additionally, experiencing homelessness has severe consequences on physical and mental health (Bassuk et al., 2019).
This is partly due to the fact that people experiencing homelessness (PEH) are often subjected to discrimination characterized by social exclusion, violence, stigma, and prejudice from the wider community of “housed” people, or people who are not experiencing homelessness (Giannini, 2016). Homelessness disproportionately affects LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly between the ages of 13 and 25 years old (McCann & Brown, 2019). Up to 40% of youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) identify as LGBTQ+ in the US (Snyder & Davidson, 2020). This blog will explore what factors contribute towards LGBTQ+ experiencing homelessness as well as outline some threats LGBTQ+ YEH endure.
What’s Causing LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness?
While the lack of affordable housing is accepted as the key driver of homelessness overall in the US (Kelleher, 2018), there are specific factors that contribute to LGBTQ+ YEH (Tyler & Schmitz, 2018). LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to experience traumatic childhood events than heteronormative youth, which increases their likelihood of experiencing homelessness (Robinson, 2021). LGBTQ+ youth are often alienated from their family and schools which results in a deprivation of social support (Roig-Palmer, 2022). LGBTQ+ youth are also criminalized against at a higher rate than other youth (Roig-Palmer, 2022). The lack of social support, alienation and traumatic experience LGBTQ+ youth face can pave a way into homelessness.
LGBTQ+ children are more likely to be neglected, as well as be physically, and sexually abused by family members than their heteronormative counterparts (Roig-Palmer, 2022). Familial rejection can result in LGBTQ+ youth being placed in child protective services, which can be extremely traumatic (Robinson, 2021).
Oftentimes, when LGBTQ+ youth turn 18, they “age out” of child protective services or foster care, and without a strong social network, many fall into homelessness (Robinson, 2021). Alternatively, family rejection can lead some LGBTQ+ minors to run away and turn to the streets to survive (Robinson, 2021).
While family support, or lack thereof, has an impact on LGBTQ+ youth homelessness, research has also found that LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to be bullied in school settings than heteronormative youth (Roig-Palmer, 2022).
LGBTQ+ students are more likely to be bullied by their peers, which we all know can have negative, lasting effects on a person’s well-being and mental health (Roig-Palmer, 2022).
In addition to the peer bullying, LGBTQ+ students are also more likely to be discriminated against by teachers and school staff (Roig-Palmer, 2022). For instance, a trans female student may be harassed for not adhering to the school dress code because staff may deny her feminine gender expression. Ultimately, LGBTQ+ students are more likely than heteronormative students to get in trouble with school staff, and are even more likely to be expelled from school (Himmelstein & Brückner, 2011).
Sadly, the trend of criminalizing LGBTQ+ individuals does not remain within the context of schools, as LGBTQ+ youth are disproportionately arrested and placed in juvenile (youth) detention (Himmelstein & Brückner, 2011).
When LGBTQ+ youth turn 18, they are also disproportionately arrested and harassed by police (Himmelstein & Brückner, 2011). In the US, once convicted of a crime, the opportunities available to you shrink dramatically, to include access to employment and housing (Kelleher, 2018). Also, being perceived as a criminal has detrimental effects on a person’s mental health (Giannini, 2016). In these ways, the criminalization of LGBTQ+ individuals can result in an increased likelihood of experiencing homelessness.
The familial, educational, and societal traumas that LGBTQ+ youth are exposed to reduce their access to social support and can push many LGBTQ+ youth to engage in risky behavior, such as excessive drinking, promiscuity, and drug use (Robinson, 2021). Many LGBTQ+ youth engage in these risky behaviors to cope with their traumas and social exclusion (Robinson, 2021). Risky behavior and addiction coupled with poor mental health also represents a pathway into LGBTQ+ youth homelessness.
What does youth LGBTQ+ homelessness entail?
Now that we’ve established how and why LGBTQ+ youth may come to experience homelessness, it’s important to understand the impacts of experiencing homelessness for this vulnerable group. Homeless LGBTQ+ youth aged between 18 and 25 have experienced higher levels of adversity than non-LGBTQ+ YEH (Chapin Hall, 2017).
For instance, over 60% of LGBTQ+ YEH were exposed to discrimination or stigma within and outside their families, compared to 37% of non-LGBTQ+ YEH (Chapin Hall, 2017). Plus, 62% of LGBTQ+ YEH reported being physically attacked by others, compared to 47% of non-LGBTQ+ YEH (Chapin Hall, 2017). Finally, 25% of LGBTQ+ YEH reported that they engaged in self-harm, compared to 15% of non-LGBTQ+ YEH (Chapin Hall, 2017). Also, LGBTQ+ youth of color, particularly black youth, are at heightened risk of facing adversity and exclusion while homeless (Chapin Hall, 2017).
Aside from these forms of adversity, LGBTQ+ YEH are often sexually exploited and abused. 38% of LGBTQ+ YEH reported being forced to have sex, which was significantly more than the 15% of non-LGBTQ+ YEH who reported the same (Chapin Hall, 2017).
Further, LGBTQ+ YEH are more likely than non-LGBTQ+ YEH to engage in survival sex. 27% of LGBTQ+ YEH reported engaging in survival sex, compared to 9% of non-LGBTQ+ youth (Chapin Hall, 2017). Survival sex is when an individual trades or accepts sex to meet basic needs, such as food (Hogan & Roe-Sepowitz, 2023). Research indicates LGBTQ+ YEH are particularly susceptible to survival sex because they often experience discrimination when accessing homeless services, such as shelters or food banks (Robinson, 2021). Aside from survival sex, LGBTQ+ YEH are also at heightened risk of being sexually trafficked (Hogan & Roe-Sepowitz, 2023).
Conclusion
Homelessness is an intersectional issue that involves far more than stable access to shelter (Giannini, 2016). LGBTQ+ youth are particularly at risk of experiencing homelessness (Roig-Palmer, 2022). When LGBTQ+ youth do experience homelessness, they are more likely to be socially excluded, as well as physically and/or sexually assaulted compared to non-LGBTQ+ YEH (Chapin Hall, 2017). Spreading awareness about this incredibly vulnerable group is crucial, and service providers, particularly homeless service providers, need to prioritize LGBTQ+ acceptance and safety (Robinson, 2021).
Schools need to assess their policies and work to support students who identify as LGBTQ+ instead of criminalizing them to prevent a downward spiral into homelessness (Roig-Palmer, 2022). Overall, LGBTQ+ youth need more support to prevent their descent into homelessness, and LGBTQ+ YEH need more support to get out of homelessness.
Bibliography
Bassuk, E. L., Hart, J. A., & Donovan, E. (2019). Resetting Policies to End Family Homelessness. The Annual Review of Public Health, 247–263. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth040119-094256
Chapin Hall. (2017). Chapin Hall: Missed Opportunities—Youth Homelessness in America. University of Chicago. https://voicesofyouthcount.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ChapinHall_VoYC_1-Pager_Final_111517.pdf
Giannini, A. (2016). An Intersectional Approach to Homelessness: Discrimination and Criminalization (SSRN Scholarly Paper ID 2946094). Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2946094
Herring, C., Yarbrough, D., & Marie Alatorre, L. (2020). Pervasive Penality: How the Criminalization of Poverty Perpetuates Homelessness. Social Problems, 67(1), 131–149. https://doi.org/10.1093/socpro/spz004
Himmelstein, K. E. W., & Brückner, H. (2011). Criminal-Justice and School Sanctions Against Nonheterosexual Youth: A National Longitudinal Study. Pediatrics, 127(1), 49–57. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-2306
Hogan, K. A., & Roe-Sepowitz, D. (2023). LGBTQ+ Homeless Young Adults and Sex Trafficking Vulnerability. Journal of Human Trafficking, 9(1), 63–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322705.2020.1841985
Kelleher, T. (Director). (2018, November 21). Drivers of Homelessness in Washington State. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8NUHqpPf-U
McCann, E., & Brown, M. (2019). Homelessness among youth who identify as LGBTQ+: A systematic review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 28(11–12), 2061–2072. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14818
Robinson, B. A. (2021). “They peed on my shoes”: Foregrounding intersectional minority stress in understanding LGBTQ youth homelessness. Journal of LGBT Youth, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2021.1925196
Roig-Palmer, K. (2022). Translating Theory into Practice: Evaluating a Prevention Program for LGBTQ+ Youth and Young Adults. Justice Evaluation Journal, 5(2), 259–287. https://doi.org/10.1080/24751979.2022.2039560
Snyder, B., & Davidson, R. (2020, June 23). Pride Month Primer: LGBTQ Homelessness. Community Solutions. https://community.solutions/pride-month-primer-lgbtq-homelessness/
Tyler, K. A., & Schmitz, R. M. (2018). A comparison of risk factors for various forms of trauma in the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and heterosexual homeless youth. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 19(4), 431–443. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2018.1451971
Riley’s blog is part of ReportOUT’s Safer To Be Me: Global Voices series, in support of the Safer To Be Me Symposium, a joint ReportOUT-University of Sunderland project, which will take place on 22nd June 2023 at Sunderland University in the North East of England.
The symposium will create a safe space where some of the most important issues facing international LGBTQI+ human rights can be explored and discussed in great detail, as well as encouraging a call to action where all involved can identify meaningful ways to be proactive and make a powerful impact. To find out more, visit our website