2014 U.S. Streetpaper Anthology
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U.S. STREETPAPER ANTHOLOGY SUMMER/FALL 2014 SPECIAL ISSUE Your donation directly benefits the vendors. Please buy only from badged$10 vendors www.GroundcoverNews.org 734-707-9210 2 HOW IT IS HOW IT IS 3 Raped, robbed and branded sinners Over 300 renters in Los Angeles protest over housing crisis by Eric Ares by Douglas Yu The MHSA supports recent changes “Renters are at the core of Los Angeles’ in policy towards LGBTQ homeless Community Connection – Los Angeles, economic recovery, making up more Spare Change News – Boston, USA, persons on the national level. For Finn, USA, 5/05/2014 than 65 percent of our City’s residents. 2/17/2014 the highlight of these contributions Yet, renters at all income levels continue to face real displacement. Today, the has been the improvement of services On the morning of Wednesday, April There’s a book called Youth in Crisis: City recognizes this critical population provided to the transgender homeless 23, 2014, over 300 renters and al- What Everyone Should Know About and the need for relief. Renters make population. lies from across Los Angeles, stood Growing Up Gay, edited by Mitchell LA work, we need to make LA work shoulder-to-shoulder and rallied on the Gold, which contains a series of inter- for renters,” said Councilmember Gil “A few years ago, there were quite few south steps of LA City Hall to declare views with young people. There is a shelters that accepted transgender Cedillo. story in there that is heartbreaking: the City’s first-ever Renters’ Day. Dur- people that I know,” Finn said. “Quite ing the subsequent press conference, honestly, it was discrimination.” While a feeling of celebration and ac- The Trevor Project, an American non- tenants from South LA, Little Tokyo, complishment could be felt throughout profit organization focused on suicide and Boyle Heights shared stories of the Typically, shelters are divided into male devastating impact that LA’’s housing the crowd as residents exited City Hall, prevention efforts among lesbian, shelters and female shelters. So if there gay, bisexual, transgender and queer crisis is having on families at all income the group recognized that the day was is a male-to-female transgender person levels. Afterwards, the large and ener- only the first of many steps needed to (LGBTQ) youth, received a call from a coming in, she may be assigned to live getic group overflowed City Council address this urgent issue. Renters make 16-year-old gay teen from just outside in a dorm full of women that have been Chambers, where LA City Council- LA work. It’s time LA we make LA Boston. He told one of the counselors traumatized by men. member Gil Cedillo officially declared work for renters. To get more infor- that he had taken ten Klonopins (an Over 300 renters and allies from across Los Angeles, stood shoulder to shoulder and anti-anxiety medication), spent the April 23 as Renters’ Day. mation, contact any of the SLA BHC Youths kick a gay rights activist during a protest against a proposed new law termed “That was very concerning sometimes rallied on the south steps of LA City Hall to declare the City’s first ever Renters’ Day. organizations or visit the Renters’ Day night passed out at a friend’s house, and Photo by Eric Ares by the State Duma, the lower house of Parliament, as “against advocating the rejection to those women,” said Finn. Facebook page: facebook.com/IAMAR- thought he had been raped. “I’ve lived in Los Angeles for 18 years, of traditional family values” in central Moscow June 11, 2013. Photo by REUTERS/ ENTER. Finn is not fully satisfied with the over- and it’s never been this bad or this hard step up because people are working too market in which there are only 17 af- This gay teen frequently abused drugs Maxim Shemetov all services within the shelter system to afford a place to live,” said Leonard hard just to see their families strug- fordable units for every 100 low-income and alcohol. “He revealed that he had Source: www.street-papers.org homeless youth last November. This safer on the streets. provided to transgender people over Woods, a renter in Downtown Los gling so much.” Leonard’s experience is families. been overdosing on Klonopin regularly / Community Connection – USA new program will provide 32 units of the years. Angeles. “Something must be done. not unique in a city where 65 percent just to see if it would kill him,” as it is permanent supportive housing for LG- We need our City Council members to of residents are renters in a housing described in the story. In the South, LGBTQ homeless young BTQ young adults between the ages of adults suffer not only from physical “I think [that], due to a lot of training, 18 and 24 in Greater Boston and West- threats, but religious condemnation as some of the issues have changed, but it According to a recent study, there is an ern Massachusetts, according to the well. In a recent phone interview with hasn’t changed entirely,” said Finn. Chronic shortage of child psychiatrists in U.S. increasing number of LGBTQ young MHSA’s executive director, Joe Finn. Rick Westbrook, the executive director by Noelle Swan Aurora, Colorado movie theater. Since In fact, millions of young people in “The juvenile justice system is becom- adults that face the same problems ev- of Lost-N-Found Youth Inc., a lot of then, Adam Lanza opened fire in a America are suffering from untreated ing the de facto mental health provider ery day: mental health issues, violence, Westbrook from Lost-N-Found Youth Spare Change News – Boston, USA, “Our responsibility is to house those shelters in the South are church-based. Newtown, Connecticut elementary mental illness, and the U.S. healthcare for a large number of these youths, substance abuse and homelessness. Inc. agrees with Finn, acknowledging 7/22/2013 who are homeless,” Finn said. “That’s Lost-N-Found Youth Inc. is the only that transgender people are the most school; a 20-year-old college student system is not equipped to care for s a d l y.” why we exist.” agency in Atlanta, GA that serves spe- abused people in the country. “I don’t know exactly what happened killed four people in Orange County, them, according to experts in child and The U.S. Department of Health and cifically LGBTQ homeless youth. to drive that young man in Aurora California during a drive-by shoot- adolescent psychiatry. The U.S. Surgeon Thomas has spent over a decade study- Human Services (HHS) estimates that For seven years, the MHSA has been to shoot those people, but I do know ing; and a 19-year-old in New Orleans General’s office estimates that only 20 ing the shortage and distribution of the number of homeless and runaway “A lot of our female-to-male transgen- dealing with different age groups that “If our kids get into those [church- that many people like him suffer while opened fire on a Mother’s Day parade. percent of emotionally disturbed chil- child and adolescent psychiatrists in youth ranges from 575,000 to 1.6 mil- der kids are girls who dress more like traditionally chronicle homeless people, based] shelters, they have to listen undiagnosed and untreated,” said Jess the United States. His 1999 paper in lion per year. The National Gay and boys. They may have a straight name, dren receive mental health services. Finn said. Their characteristics are to how they are sinners and they are Shatkin, an associate professor of child In each of these tragedies, images of the Journal of the American Associa- Lesbian Task Force’s analysis of the but it’s still easy to change their names. marked by mental health issues, severe going to hell unless they stay in the and adolescent psychiatry at New York isolated and despondent young male Those children do not automatically tion of Child and Adolescent Psychia- available research suggests that between So it’s easier to get them employed,” disabilities, substance abuse and addic- closet,” said Westbrook. “A lot of times, University. perpetrators have emerged in the shed their emotional problems on their trists (AACAP) spurred the AACAP to 20 and 40 percent of all homeless youth Westbrook said. “But when it comes tion. [they] get picked on, beaten up, raped aftermath. And after each tragedy, the 18th birthday. They become adults with launch a task force on workforce issues, identify as LGBTQ. Given that between to things like male-to-female, I’ve had and robbed in a normal shelter. So it’s July 20, 2013, marked one year since nation vowed to launch a national dis- mental illness. Some find treatment as which aims to recruit medical students 3 and 5 percent of the U.S. population some who are in several different stages especially important for us to house James Eagan Holmes massacred 12 cussion of mental health. adults; some turn to drugs and alcohol into the specialty. identifies as LGBTQ, it is clear that Today, the MHSA houses about 600 of transitions. Some are very passable. them, so they can be around people people and injured 70 more inside an LGBTQ youth experience homelessness people, and almost 30 percent came Some appear to be cross-dressing. You to manage their symptoms; and some like themselves, whether they are gay, Both Shatkin – the current chair of the at a disproportionate rate. right off the street. can tell them easily on the street.” lose control.