Where Do You Go When No One Wants You?

The Hidden Trauma of Queer Youth Homelessness—and the Radical Power of Belonging

A friend once asked me, “If you had millions of dollars and could do anything with it you wanted, what would you do?” She told me how she would start an educational foundation to advocate for the needs of underserved neurodiverse students navigating a conventional school system. This, naturally, drew from her own painful experiences as a child and the expertise she later gained as a teacher.

My mind immediately went two places in response: the work I’ve done in a safe house for survivors of sex trafficking, and the need for homeless shelters for queer teens. She seemed curious but puzzled as to the personal connection, but I didn’t elaborate.

I’m a cis-gender female in a long-term, happy heterosexual relationship. I didn’t (yet) have any (out) queer family members. It’s not an obvious connection.

But it’s a population and concern I’ve long held close to my heart. Because amongst the population of unaccompanied homeless teenagers, an estimated 40% are gay. Current estimates, which are double what they were only ten years ago, suggest only 5-7% of the total population are gay.

It's a gross over-representation in a starkly vulnerable trauma.

It's a trauma I know all too well.