Serving Homeless LGBTQ Youth

The need for programs that address homeless LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning) youth is uncontested; twenty to forty percent of homeless youth are LGBTQ and adolescents who identify as LGBTQ run away from home twice as often as their heterosexual peers (Ray, 2006). Despite this need, best practice for working with homeless LGBTQ youth has not been well articulated. This review of the literature brings together best practice for working with homeless youth and best practice for working with LGBTQ youth to describe a program that specifically targets this unique population. Suggestions for urban and rural programs are discussed