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Loading ...‘These kids are invisible’: An LGBT youth shelter in words and pictures
Do you get money from the city?
This year I think they’re giving us $9,000, and last year was $4,000, so not much at all. It’s all City Council discretionary money, but it’s not even from all the queers on the City Council.
Anyway, it’s just drips and drops. The bulk of our funding comes from the State Department of Health actually, and then private foundations, and really a lot of individual donors. It’s a lot of in-kind stuff, like people who travel, pick up their shampoos and bring us a baggie all labeled in Japanese or whatever. And people bring us their used clothes, and help out with emergency needs. Like literally I sent an email to a volunteer yesterday saying, “Can you please, please buy us an ink cartridge on your way to work, because I can’t print anything.”
A young lesbian has been hovering patiently but urgently before Kate’s desk for the past few minutes.
“Bella, do you need something?” Kate asks.
Of course Bella does need something, and quite desperately: It’s now after 7 p.m., and she’s been kicked out of Ali Forney Center housing in Brooklyn, and all of her earthly belongings are about to be thrown onto the curb unless she retrieves them before 9 p.m.
“See if any of your friends can help you,” says Kate, pulling from memory a list of Bella‘s friends – all of whom Bella says can’t help her, for various reasons.
“Well, I don’t know what to tell you,” says Kate. “I think you better just go there, prioritize, and take what you really need.”
A dejected Bella sulks away, but Kate can’t stand it. “Ask Carolyn if she can take you,” she yells after Bella, Carolyn is one of the volunteers who’s already quite busy trying to get everyone fed.
So you’re just dealing with situations like that constantly.
This has been a hell of a week. We had a major flood, which we still can’t figure out where the water’s coming from. We think something in our back bathroom’s leaking, and so our shower had to be taken out of commission for 24 hours. And we only have one shower for like 25 people, which is already difficult, so to have it out of commission…
Carolyn, the volunteer, approaches. She’s agreed to drive Bella to Brooklyn to get her stuff after she finishes serving dinner, but she doesn’t want to be responsible for anything that might happen along the way. She asks Kate to write and sign a waiver of all liability. Kate does, even as she continues talking.
But the flood occurred during the night, and the water got all the way from the back bathroom up to the front of the space, and all of our kids were sleeping on the floor. These kids are so tired that they didn’t even wake up when they got wet. But all of the bedding got soaked, so we’ve been doing laundry around the clock for days now. You know, we’ve had to wash all of our clothes and quilts and everything.
NEXT PAGE: ‘You can’t burn the place down.’
i would like to take in the kids who r homeless because they r gay. i am gay but when i told my parents they accepted me and they told me they will always love me no matter wat i am. i feel sorry for these kids and it makes me want to cry!!!!
I appreciate your comments on not wanting to be involved with religous groups. I was raised in a fundamental type church that seperated me from my family for decades. I know the damage they can do to the average LGBT child (person) however please understand that according to this hart breaking article it is MCC Metropolitan Community Church
founded by the GAY REV Troy Perry. I have met him on a number of occations, and use to attend his first church in L.A
when I lived in California.
This is not your run of the mill evangelical type church. This was the first church that was founded for gays primarily. I remember how nice it was to be able to go some where and be a part of something that was not a bar or park or a bath to meet other gay folks. The message was and still is very positive and very embelishing to the gay community and their needs.
This is the last place that would do anything to harm the community.
My point is if you can donate to this so needed cause, please do so and know that any item or money you donate will make life a little bit more tolarable in a world that is still so crule in many ways.
In this case I deeply hope you reconsider.
You besurprised what org. support & don’t support, in some way gay org.As Salvation army doesn’t.I sure most don’t know this.Is as some who work there.But some still help reguardless of orders of the ignoranting laws.
Hubs has like 50 pairs of size 13 mens shoes, so some of those are going. Some other stuff, if I can find anything useful in the garage.
The ONLY reason I’m giving is because these kids are working and in school.
Gay, straight, or whatever…I have no deep abiding need to help people just sitting on their butts whining.
I agree with brad – no way i would ever consider giving money to an organization affiliated with “god” or “jesus” regardless of who they are trying to help. They do too much damage in the process by spreading their religious ideology to others like a disease. No money from me – I only donate to secular organizations.
I’m am almost 30 now, but I was homeless when I was 19 because of family issues. I cried so much reading this article. Luckily, do to my own strength and a local church that helped me, I have turned my life around. I finished community college, now have an AA degree in graphic design, my own apartment, and a wonderful boyfriend. I will be sending a donation to help out as much as I can for the next person who needs it.
Thank you for this story. It makes me want to go right there and help raise money. If I’d come out as trans as a youth, this could easily have been me.
Sonam Ben
We’re getting involved and we have no intent on pushing religion. This isn’t a faith issue, it is a humanity issue. We’re shipping out 500 toothbrushes today. More support will follow.
Archbishop Simpson
Benedictine Order of St. John the Beloved
Brad, and others in the queer community who share his view ~
Your willingness to help the kids at Homeless Youth Services and Sylvia’s Place is admirable. And, the aversion you express toward MCCNY and all things god/faith-related is an understandable one for anyone in the queer community who has faced the kind of persecution we have from religious folk.
However, the reality on the ground here in New York City, and frankly around the globe, is that mainstream (straight) society doesn’t care about these kids (as this article points out) and the non-faith-based queer community isn’t doing much of anything to address their considerable needs. The additional reality is that it’s the queer people who attend MCCNY (like Lucky, like me) and our allies – both queer and straight, people of faith and atheists, agnostics and secular humanists – that are making a difference in these kids’ lives through the valuable work that Homeless Youth Services does.
No one at MCCNY proselytizes these kids. Ever. Instead, the services there provide them food, clothing, shelter and refuge from a world that’s largely hostile to them.
Brad, you and others, might also be interested to know that one of the biggest barriers we face to fund-raising is the anti-faith sentiments of the queer community. I hope you won’t let that stand in the way of helping these kids.
Peace,
~ Jessie
The book “Shelter” can also be obtained by calling MCCNY at 212-629-7440… 100% of the proceeds go directly to MCCNY Homeless Youth Services to benefit our shelter program.
I would have to disagree with that comment Mike in Boston: If you want to help someone why do you need to acknowledge GOD? Im an atheist and found that the religious bible thumpers have ruined the whole bunch and left an awful nasty taste in mouth. Religion needs to get pushed back into the closet and not stop telling people how to live. That goes for Catholic/Muslim/Evangelical….etc
Great story!
These are our kids people and why every successful gay man or lesbian out there isn’t donating is beyond me.
Why are shelters like “Sylvia’s Place” struggling?
Even though I don’t have any money, I’m making a donation now. I hope everyone else who has read the article does the same.
Brad, although I’m an agnostic who has also been “burned” by religious folks, I’m not going to punish these kids in need.
MCC is one of the most liberal, gay-friendly churches out there. You should read a bit more about them.
My rule is, if the work they are doing is good, and no one else is doing it, I don’t care if it’s a religious group or not.
Not person of faith is an enemy of the queer community, Brad, and it doesn’t help our cause (GLBT equality), nor does it help these kids in need, for us to continue to treat all people of faith as the enemy.
So, go ahead and help these kids anyway, regardless of the group doing the helping. You can even include a note with your donation, saying it is coming from someone who is not a person of faith, but that you still understand the work they are doing is good.
Oh Dear!
I want to help these kids, I want to help the TG people find shoes to fit. I want to ship a printer all the way from Canada.
Here is the problem, when I google “MCCNY”, I see links that say “reconnect with God ” and “join a community of faith”. These links provide more than enough evidence to me that my donations are going the wrong way.
Please find a way to keep God and Faith out of it and the international queer community will give.
I have been hurt way too many times by those of faith to give to an organization who promotes it.
Good luck to you, I want to give but will not support any organization based in faith.
I just can’t give to LGBT’s with “Faith” on their side and I feel bad, I want to help those kids.
Be good, I will help you when religion is not part of the equation.
Wow, that was a powerful story…I had to hold back tears. The youth of today need that kind of love and support from all adults…I am just speechless to think of anything else to say.