Homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth in New York City: Insights from the field

$is article reviews existing information about homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth in New York City. It describes how the frequently heard narrative about them—“kicked out” of familial homes to the streets for being LGBT, heavy involvement with hard drugs and sex work, broad prevalence of HIV and suicidality—misrepresents the majority. It foregrounds issues that really are faced by most homeless LGBT youth, such as trauma, discrimination in foster care and shelters, structural barriers to exiting homelessness, and emerging adult development