Oral Presentations - Session 3A: UC 326
LGBT Youth and Homelessness
Presentation Type
Presentation
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Daisy Rooks
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Sociology
Abstract / Artist's Statement
While LGBT individuals represent between 5 and 10% of the overall US population, Ray (2006) estimates that 20-50% of homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning. The alarming numbers of youth living on the street who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender begs the question: why?
This project examines how LGBT youth’s coming out experiences influence whether or not they become homeless. To answer this question, I conducted ten in-depth interviews with LGBT individuals between the ages of 14 and 24. All of these people were out to their immediate families and half had experienced homelessness. With IRB approval, I recorded and then transcribed the interviews. With this data, I predicted that youth who were forced out of the closet were more likely to become homeless than youth who came out on their own accord. I also expected to find that their family’s reaction to coming out will play a role in the whether a youth becomes homeless. Identifying the major causes of the homelessness among LGBT youth will help policy makers intervene earlier and more effectively when addressing this important issue.
LGBT Youth and Homelessness
UC 326
While LGBT individuals represent between 5 and 10% of the overall US population, Ray (2006) estimates that 20-50% of homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning. The alarming numbers of youth living on the street who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender begs the question: why?
This project examines how LGBT youth’s coming out experiences influence whether or not they become homeless. To answer this question, I conducted ten in-depth interviews with LGBT individuals between the ages of 14 and 24. All of these people were out to their immediate families and half had experienced homelessness. With IRB approval, I recorded and then transcribed the interviews. With this data, I predicted that youth who were forced out of the closet were more likely to become homeless than youth who came out on their own accord. I also expected to find that their family’s reaction to coming out will play a role in the whether a youth becomes homeless. Identifying the major causes of the homelessness among LGBT youth will help policy makers intervene earlier and more effectively when addressing this important issue.