|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Our birth, as LGBTQ individuals and as a movement,
mirrors that of Jesus. It comes at a time where there
is still neither room nor tolerance for us - even in
2015 with U.S. Supreme ruling in favor of marriage
equality - in some homes and families."
|
The holiday season is a difficult time of year for many.
Too often we see the glitz and glamour that this holiday brings,
totally missing its spiritual message.The underlying message in
celebrating the season is the full embrace of human difference and
diversity.
I truly believe if Americans - Christians and non-Christians, alike -
stayed more focused on the message and teachings of this holiday
season, many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ)
youth and young adults would not have the annual angst of searching for
a home for the holidays.
Although Christmas is mostly thought of in terms of feasting and
celebrating, Jesus’s, birth - like his death - was born of struggle,
and that struggle was to be fully accepted. Similarly, when I think of
the birth of Jesus, one of the themes that looms large for me is LGBTQ
youth and young adult homelessness.
Why homelessness?
Because many of us do not really have a home to go to where we can sit
at the family table and be fully out - or if out, fully accepted. As
with Mary and Joseph during the time of Jesus’ birth, many of us travel
from inn-to-inn to only find there is no room.
"I'm Queer. I'm Homeless. I'm Hungry. I'm Scared. I’m Tired,” was the
ad one year by New Alternatives for LGBT Homeless Youth asking the
American public to give the gift of $10 during the holiday
season to help their homeless.
"Every night, thousands of lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender youth
and young adults are homeless in New York City. Whether they have been
kicked out by homophobic families, forced to flee conservative
communities, aged out of foster care, or come from families torn apart
by poverty, AIDS, drug abuse or eviction, these youth sleep in the
City’s parks, on the subway, and in public facilities such as Port
Authority and Penn Station,” New Alternatives for LGBT Homeless
Youth website reminded us.
While homelessness of teen and youth populations are often attributed
to family neglect, family tragedy, poverty, AIDS, drug abuse, eviction,
or being aged out of foster care, our LGBTQ teen and youth populations
that are homeless are, first and foremost, if not solely, because of
their sexual orientation.
And sadly, it sends a message that these homes rather have no child than a queer child.
According to a 2011 study from Boston’s Children’s Hospital, published
online on the “American Journal of Public Health” website it stated
that when it comes to the private institution of the home, our LGBTQ
youth are disproportionately thrown out of theirs, more often than
their heterosexual peers, especially in communities of color like
the African Americans one.
Some years ago when I wrote about homelessness of African
American LGBTQ youth this was a typical type of response I received
from an irate blogger who read my piece on “Black Commentator’s”
website.
“Given
that our resources are tight & these youth are not at all
psychologically prepared for our liberation struggle, they are
expendable. Such are the realities of war. It's gonna take all of
our resources to salvage the heterosexual youth, who will hopefully
form strong, loving, heterosexual relationships & produce healthy
children. This is how we will produce a strong black
nation/community. The dysfunctional youth you are asking us to
rescue cannot/will not be able to make the contribution we need, so
they are expendable.”
The perception that African American families and communities do not
throw away their children because of the much-touted old African adage
that espouses black unity, "It takes a village to raise a child," rings
false, it seems, when it comes to our LGBTQ youth.
"The high risk of homelessness among sexual minority teens is a serious
problem requiring immediate attention," says Heather Corliss, PhD, MPH,
of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Children’s
Hospital. "Teens with a sexual minority orientation are more likely
than heterosexual teens to be unaccompanied and homeless rather than
part of a homeless family. … these teens face enormous risks and all
types of obstacles to succeeding in school and are in need of a great
deal of assistance."
In Luke 2:6-7 it states "While they were there the time came for [Mary]
to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son - her firstborn. She
wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because
there was no room for them in the inn."
Our birth, as LGBTQ individuals and as a movement, mirrors that of
Jesus. It comes at a time where there is still neither room nor
tolerance for us - even in 2015 with U.S. Supreme ruling in favor of
marriage equality - in some homes and families.
Unfortunately, many of our homeless LGBTQ youth and young adult across
this country this holiday season will not have a queer-friendly shelter
to go to. And too many will spend the time alone even where homeless
LGBTQ shelters across the country will be open because they gravely
miss their families and communities.
As we gear up for this holiday season let us enjoy the time. Let us
make home, if not with biological family, then certainly with beloved
friends. But let us also not forget the continued struggle of the LGBTQ
homeless youth and young adults searching for home for the holidays.
|
BlackCommentator.com Editorial Board member and Columnist, The Rev. Irene Monroe, is a religion columnist, theologian, and public speaker. She is the Coordinator of the African-American Roundtable of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry (CLGS) at the Pacific School of Religion. A
native of Brooklyn, Rev. Monroe is a graduate from Wellesley College
and Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University, and served as a
pastor at an African-American church before coming to Harvard Divinity
School for her doctorate as a Ford Fellow. She was recently named to
MSNBC’s list of 10 Black Women You Should Know. Reverend Monroe is the author of Let Your Light Shine Like a Rainbow Always: Meditations on Bible Prayers for Not’So’Everyday Moments. As an African-American feminist theologian, she speaks for a sector of society that is frequently invisible. Her website is irenemonroe.com. Contact the Rev. Monroe and BC.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
 is published every Thursday |
Executive Editor:
David A. Love, JD |
Managing Editor:
Nancy Littlefield, MBA |
Publisher:
Peter Gamble |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
