This holiday season, the Ali Forney Center will release a weekly slideshow as part of its Homeless for the Holidays series, featuring homeless LGBT youth sharing their struggles to survive without shelter.
In the premiere installment, Rigo discusses getting kicked out of his house, and how with nowhere to go, he enlisted in the Marines. After he returned from service, however, he still had no home to return to and even contemplated suicide.
Rigo is just one of 1,600 homeless LGBT youth in New York City, though the city only provides 250 youth shelter beds.
“Please try to empathize with what it is like to be young, abandoned, and alone on the streets of our city,” wrote Ali Forney Executive Director Carl Siciliano. “What they have to say is painful and disturbing to hear. But they need us to listen. The only call to action I am asking for in response is to share their stories as much as you possibly can.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Pablito12ny
I’d like to commend Ali Forney for doing the work they and for having the insight to use this medium to tell stories which would otherwise go untold. This short docu-video is so tremendously impactful and emotional; humanizing what can sometimes be an abstract social issue. This link needs to be shared everywhere, because this is what it means to be homeless and LGBT in NYC. This is why Ali Forney is important to our community and for our kids.
chrisk
This breaks my heart! I don’t understand how “parents” can turn their back on their children like this. It’s my goal over the next few years to volunteer time to a cause like this.
KARUADAM
My heart with you baby. As a HOMO dad to six to hear you and know how many more like you are there is really break my heart. I love you and feel for you big time kisses to you, AdamHomo.