I’ve been doing a bit of research into the issue of
homelessness in my city and have become interested in how to open the general
public’s minds to creative solutions to homing people without ghettoizing or marginalizing them.
How do we make the task of homing people respectfully everyone’s
responsibility? The more I read the more I touch upon a frustrating statistic.
Despite the fact we have come so far in Canada on the issue advancing the
rights and joyful acceptance of the LGBTQ citizenry, we still find (as study
after study shows) that between 25% and a whopping 40% of homeless youth
identify as LGBTQ and furthermore they cite it as a main reason they ran away. Now
interestingly, the latest studies are showing about 5% of Canadians identify as
LGBTQ. I know the common wisdom is that it’s 10%, and that may be, but either
way it’s obviously a distinguishing factor for a disproportionate number of
homeless youth. Anecdotally there is a good deal of consensus that we live in a
time when it’s easier than ever for people to proudly and freely BE who they
are, and love who they may …… but that clearly doesn’t mean it’s easy for
everyone.
The kids who are growing up knowing they are gay, or trying
to find out about themselves, in families which are not accepting are running
away in tragic numbers. Studies show that homeless youth are the most
vulnerable of any people living without a home. It’s a slippery slope from that
place of running away to adding the many additional challenges and life problems
that a person will predictably accumulate living on the streets. And it’s sad;
so very sad.
So here’s my idea: Rainbow room families. The deal is to
simply place a rainbow sticker on the front door to signal your willingness to help
and shelter any young person you know, who feels their sexual orientation or gender
identification has left them rejected from their own family. The rules are
simple. Any family participating must promise to honour the rights of the child
who comes to them, to help, and be a safe place for them share their fears. They must
contact the child’s family to let them know their child is safe, and begin the
search for professional agencies to assist. In extreme cases they can provide a
temporary (or maybe not so temporary) place to stay while the youth attempts
reconciliation with their own family or finds a safe new beginning. The child
will need to agree to inform their own families of their whereabouts with your
assistance, they will need to observe rules of the hosting home (especially if
staying for a period of time) like curfews, bedtimes, reasonable chores,
finishing at least high school and then working or volunteering, participating
in needed therapies or treatments for drugs or emotional issues which may have
begun while living with a difficult home life, abstinence from drug abuse, and
responsible sexual behaviours. These kids will be YOUR children’s friends,
children in your neighbourhood, kids YOU know who would be very well served by
a safe place to be when they feel the streets are better than home. It’s the
community connection that’s missing, I think ………. The ‘where do you go when you
can’t go home’ before the couch surfing with questionable adults, before the
shelters, before the streets.
Could a Rainbow room family make the difference? I don’t know.
But it seems such a simple place to start to try. I, for one, look at the faces
of my son’s friends and my heart breaks thinking about them running away from a
safe home just to BE (or try to find) who they are. If our family can be the
place they think of before they are lost to despair then I am so happy to be
that safe place for as long as they need. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but maybe we need to remind kids the village is there for them. If it’s as simple as a little rainbow
sticker to let them know it’s ok, a safe place to say aloud who they are, and a warm
bed if needed then that would be wonderful.
