In Kristina Gibson's Street Kids, we delve into the pathos behind youth homelessness, with a particular focus on queer youth. The capital of homeless LGBT+ youth in the USA is none other than New York City. Neglected and at-risk youth from across the country often flock to the city to find a sense of home and community that was missing from their lives, and to escape various forms of abuse and mistreatment. Unfortunately, many become trapped in a maze of criminality, forced to engage in illegal activities simply to survive. Gibson not only discusses the social conditions of these youth, but the complex relationships between them and society at large, including social outreach programs, and the issues that arise in gaining the trust and attention
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As the author notes, "A survey of young people in Hudson River Park, at the end of Christopher Street, found that nearly half those surveyed did not live with a parent or guardian; 90 percent were people of color; 88 percent self-identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or questioning" (1). This speaks to how vital intersectionality is when discussing any social justice topic from youth homelessness and housing inequality to sexism and transphobia. The marginalization and stigmatization often begins inside the home, and continues when they are pushed out of their homes and onto the street. This stigmatization takes a myriad of forms, from urban policing to gentrification and the neoliberalization of public places. As the National Alliance to End Homelessness concluded in their 2006 report "that nearly half of homeless youth had been abused" with a similar study stating "that more than 75 percent of female street youth had been abused" (2). The combination of abuse, neglect, structural, and interpersonal discrimination creates a toxic atmosphere that unjustly targets women, queer folk, and people of …show more content…
Many times though, there is no impetus for a thoughtful and nuanced dialogue about what needs to be done to prevent this from happening, beyond a strictly punitive lens. The author does an adequate job of educating the reader about the problems homeless queer youth face, the policies and structures that exacerbate these problems, and the delicate work of street outreach workers in both fostering trust and initial connections between themselves and the kids, but maintaining said connection. It made me come to the realization that the various situations described in this book are far more complex than an "otherwise good family that happens to be unaccepting". Rather, the interplay between familial dysfunction, government policy, and how the justice system operates all contribute greatly to one of the most pressing issues of our
As the author notes, "A survey of young people in Hudson River Park, at the end of Christopher Street, found that nearly half those surveyed did not live with a parent or guardian; 90 percent were people of color; 88 percent self-identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or questioning" (1). This speaks to how vital intersectionality is when discussing any social justice topic from youth homelessness and housing inequality to sexism and transphobia. The marginalization and stigmatization often begins inside the home, and continues when they are pushed out of their homes and onto the street. This stigmatization takes a myriad of forms, from urban policing to gentrification and the neoliberalization of public places. As the National Alliance to End Homelessness concluded in their 2006 report "that nearly half of homeless youth had been abused" with a similar study stating "that more than 75 percent of female street youth had been abused" (2). The combination of abuse, neglect, structural, and interpersonal discrimination creates a toxic atmosphere that unjustly targets women, queer folk, and people of …show more content…
Many times though, there is no impetus for a thoughtful and nuanced dialogue about what needs to be done to prevent this from happening, beyond a strictly punitive lens. The author does an adequate job of educating the reader about the problems homeless queer youth face, the policies and structures that exacerbate these problems, and the delicate work of street outreach workers in both fostering trust and initial connections between themselves and the kids, but maintaining said connection. It made me come to the realization that the various situations described in this book are far more complex than an "otherwise good family that happens to be unaccepting". Rather, the interplay between familial dysfunction, government policy, and how the justice system operates all contribute greatly to one of the most pressing issues of our