LGBTQ Youth: The Endless Strife

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Rudy Estrada and Rob Woronoff wrote of the following statement made by an adolescent during the 2002 Regional Listening Forum for LGBTQ youth:
I realized that being gay is not my problem. It’s their problem. I see it as a social disease. I try not to get involved in negative communities. But I do try to teach them. I’d rather teach them than ignore them. Otherwise, the ignorance will continue and nothing will ever be done about it. (380)
Ignorance is the root of nearly all tribulations surrounding the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning community. Education is a way to eradicate the ignorance. It is also the government’s responsibility to assist the LGBTQ community. In order to combat homelessness, parental abandonment, and social discrimination prevalent in the lives of American LGBTQ youth, the federal government should fund programs tailored to raise public awareness of the plight of these individuals.
According to the Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, gay means one who desires someone of his/her same sex, lesbian being the female-specific form (“Gay”). Bisexual is one who desires people of both his/her own and the opposite gender (“Bisexual”). Transgender describes an individual that changed his/her gender (“Transgender”). Questioning stands for individuals who know they are not heterosexual but cannot label themselves as one orientation (“Questioning”). Males and females suffer the unnecessary consequences of their choosing to reveal their sexuality. Ascension from juvenility to adulthood is obstacle-ridden for these individuals.
One of the most significant obstacles is the rate of homelessness among LGBTQ individuals in their teenage years. Homelessness, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistan...

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...uth. Child Welfare League of America, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.
"Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender HealthNew." Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.
“McKinney-Vento Act.” McKinney-Vento Act. National Coalition for the Homeless, June 2006. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
"Mission, Vision, and Values." One Heartland. One Heartland, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
"Overview of Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997." Nebraska Government. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
"Preventing Youth Hate Crime." Justice.gov. U.S. Department of Education, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.
"Questioning." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random. 27 Mar. 2014.
"Transgender." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random. 27 Mar. 2014.
"Transition to Adulthood." Transition to Adulthood | FindYouthInfo. Find Youth Info, 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.

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