Sat 18 Jun 2016 In: Our Communities View at Wayback View at NDHA
It's hard to credit that in this day and age young glbti people are still being kicked out of their family homes when they come out to their parents. This is, after all, an age when celebrities, politicians, local and global business leaders, Olympic and other sports stars are openly gay and command huge respect. Yet some parents can turn from loving their own child to despising them as soon as they discover they aren't straight. We're talking young, vulnerable kids still working their lives through, as all kids have to, their identities, their places in the world and how they relate to other people. Here are five facts you should know, based on information provided by Rainbow Youth, the country's biggest provider of services to our glbti youth throughout the country... FACT #1: 26% of LGBT youth who come out to family become disowned and homeless. FACT #2: LGBT youth whose families reject them are 3 times more likely to end up using illegal drugs as other youth. FACT #3: LGBT youth whose families reject them are 20% more likely to suicide. FACT #4: LGBT youth whose families reject them have higher levels of depression, substance abuse, victimisation and suicide than those living with family. FACT # 5: Those under 25 make up nearly 50% of the homeless population. FACT # 6: 20 - 40% of the homeless youth population are glbti, overseas studies estimate. And yet lgbti people are only around 10% max of the overall population. FACT # 7: 30% of homeless young men who have sex with men have HIV infection. A Rainbow group, Team Rainbow,brought together by Auckland's Rainbow Youth peer support and advocacy organisation will take part in the July 7 Lifewise Bog Sleepout to help draw attention to the plight of out homeless youth and to raise funds for outreach and support work. You can donate to the team, who each have a target of $1,500 to reach, here. GayNZ.com Daily News staff - 18th June 2016
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Saturday, 18th June 2016 - 9:58pm