Every youth experiencing homelessness has a unique story and the reasons youth find themselves on the street are varied. Many LGBTQ youth become homeless for economic reasons – their families simply don’t have enough money to provide shelter and food for them. In some cases, adolescent youth are driven from their home of origin by the feeling that they are a burden on an already economically stretched family. Some LGBTQ youth run away from physical, sexual and verbal abuse the may or may not be related to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity and expression. Others are kicked out by their parents or caregivers, told “Come back when you have straightened up.”
