Tom Donaghy's piece provides the perfect segue into a piece on homeless queer youth, don't you think.

A report from The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that up to 42% of America's 575,000 to 1.6 million guppies are LGBT. That's 241,500 -672,000 homeless queers - a number alarming enough for official to call it "an epidemic". About a quarter of them are kicked out after coming out. With little to no guidance, money or shelter, many of these kids face disease, drugs and - you guessed it - death. Pretty gruesome.

Here in New York City, City Council Speaker and known lesbian Christine Quinn is not only (pictured) looking concerned, she's looking to expand social services for LGBT homeless youth...

As quoted in 365 Gay, Quinn says:

Now that we have a report that sadly documents how big a problem the issue of homelessness among young LGBT people is... it will make it much more difficult for government to ignore or walk away from that problem.

It's also worth mentioning that for an estimated 3,000 - 10,000 strong population, there are only about 65 beds. Two of the biggest (relatively speaking) centers for homeless NY queers are Sylvia's Place and The Ali Forney Center. Sylvia's Place and its satellite shelters operate out of churches, a cooperative effort that's raised more than a few eyebrows, but rest assured there's no room for proselytization, however.

In a March interview with The New York Blade, Peggy Borgstede of New York's Interfaith Task Force for LBGTQ Homeless Youth has been quoted as saying:

We always said [to the churches] that we don’t expect them to inculcate religious beliefs in these kids. That is not what this is about... They understand that they’re mission is the shelter, feed and to alleviate what’s going on the streets of New York.

But, where to put all the homeless youth? We can't stick 'em in the subway, nor can we fill up every church. Hmmm...if only there were some way to disperse them around - you know, maybe someone out there wants to take one in? Talk about bridging the generational divide!

It'll be just like that episode of My-So Called Life when Wilson Cruz (aka Ricky) got the boot on Christmas. Only without the angel.