The LGBTQ+ Community and Homelessness: The Decimation of Human Decency
Two eras led to a drastically different one that society is experiencing now. Both the Baby Boomers and the Millennials had an immense impact on the way that Generation Z functions as a whole. Everything from integrating technology into everyday life to the evolution of sexuality has been a result of the ripple effect that is a changing society. Recently, the prevalence of homosexuality, transgenderism, and something deemed the LGBTQ+ community has skyrocketed, affecting almost every aspect of daily life. With a great overlap of generations and belief systems, there has been a certain predicament that occurs all too often: sons and daughters are being kicked out of their own homes and left homeless on the streets.
The Center for American Progress writes, “Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth who are homeless must face these challenges [typical to homeless youth] on top of social stigma, discrimination, and frequently rejection by their families. The failure of critical family and social safety nets to support these youth have catastrophic consequences on their economic stability, educational attainment … economic future, and life expectancy."
With 40% of the homeless youth population being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, True Colors United reports that the most common reason is family conflict over sexuality. As stated above, I argue that this is a massive collision between two generations, two eras of different beliefs and philosophies for almost everything. In older generations, churchgoing and religion were more popular than it is now. This, of course, affected the way that home-life functioned and the family unit responded to rebellion and deviance from the societal norm - namely, heterosexuality. In generations recent and coming, the rise of the tolerance of LGBTQ+ practices has become a norm in and of itself. No person today is surprised to see an openly LGBTQ+ practicing individual, as the times have changed along with the philosophy of gender.
There then exists a line between religious conviction, generational schema, and human decency. While not everyone may agree with the lifestyle of people in the LGBTQ+ community, they are equally deserving of service and care just as any other person (homeless or otherwise) deserves. If it is true, as American Progress stated, that the LGBTQ+ community faces an elevated level of challenges while homeless, then the need for providing service and care for this specific sect of the homeless population is ever-clear. The things I’ve written on the battle of mental health and homelessness apply here as well. The decimation of human decency, unfortunately, can be seen in the rejection of the LGBTQ+ homeless community. An inception of rejection, these hurting individuals face trials unlike any others. They should not be marginalized, discriminated against, or oppressed by the American people because of their lifestyle. They should be helped and served with the same motive and love that would be expelled upon any other individual in need.
Blog by: Justin Bower
