The Give A Damn Campaign Releases A New PSA About Homelessness Among GLBT Youth

The Give a Damn Campaign, one of Cyndi Lauper's projects that was created by her True Colors Fund, has released their latest video to raise awareness about homeless among gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth. Eden Riegel, Susan Sarandon, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, Pete Wentz, and Cyndi Lauper speak up about the need to bring an end to this epidemic.

Every year there are somewhere between 500,000 and 1.6 million kids in the U.S. that are homeless or runaways. GLBT youth make up an estimated 3% to 5% of the general U.S. population. However they make up more than 20% and possibly up to 40% of all homeless kids in the country.

Conflict within the family is the most common cause of all youth homelessness. For gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender kids, the issues are often about their sexual orientation or gender identity. Half of all kids get a negative reaction from their family when they come out to them, resulting in many of them running away. More than 1 in 4 are actually thrown out of their homes because they are GLBT.

“As a parent, I can’t understand those who would kick out their own kid simply because they are gay or transgender,” says Cyndi Lauper. “Your child is a part of you, throwing them out on the street is like ripping out a part of your own soul. No child should ever be homeless, especially when they have a family that can give them the love and acceptance that they need. It’s time all of us parents join together and let our kids know that their home is always a safe place for them no matter what.”

Once living on the streets, GLBT kids have a hard road ahead of them with a higher rate of victimization and suicide. They also have to deal with greater difficulties in finding resources that are willing or able to assist them, sometimes facing further rejection from the very people and institutions that are expected to help them, solely because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

To learn more about this gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender homeless youth and the Give A Damn campaign, please visit www.wegiveadamn.org.