Published on 10/9/2009

Singles out LGBT youth as most in need

By Sr. Correspondent, Antoine Craigwell

(New York, NY) -In remarks congratulating the Ali Forney Center (AFC) for their work among homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth, at their annual fund raiser, "A Place at the Table," Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the formation of a commission to address homelessness among youth in the city.

Speaking to an audience of more than 500 on Monday, Oct 5, which included City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, City Councilor Lewis Fiedler, co-chair of the Council's Health Committee, and the Commissioner of the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) Jeanne Mullgrav; Bloomberg said that he was establishing a commission to look into and address the needs of homeless youth in the city, especially those who are LGBT.

"Today we have launched a new initiative for runaway LGBT youth, headed by DYCD Commissioner Jeanne Mulgrav, and we're working with Christine Quinn and Lewis Fidler to keep the poison of homophobia from infecting others," Bloomberg said.

According to a press release from the Mayor's office, the Commission "is charged with devising strategies to address the unique needs of LGBT youth before they run away, to provide homeless youth with both shelter and the support they need to live independently, or to help them reunite with their families when appropriate."

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Singles out LGBT youth as most in need

By Sr. Correspondent, Antoine Craigwell

Currently, the DYCD operates and administers services which include drop-in centers and crisis shelters, transitional independent living programs, and street outreach and referral services. Since 2007, the city's Department developed 10 new residential sites so as to expand options for many young people.

"New York City may be one of the most tolerant places on earth, but LGBT youth still face daily discrimination that forces many of them to leave home and sometimes make risky decisions," said Bloomberg in the press release. "Today we are opening up a new front focused on serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning young people. The Commission's recommendations will address the root causes of homelessness among this population and provide a blueprint for innovative and evidence-based solutions."

The 25-member commission will be headed by Ana Oliveira, president and CEO, The New York Women's Foundation, serving as Chair, while Mullgrav will serve as Director.
Mullgrav said that in 2006, the Department redesigned the City's network of services for runaway and homeless youth, focusing on meeting the needs of LGBT and questioning youth, and this Commission is intended to serve as a forum for experts in the field to share best practices and together devise a plan to keep LGBT youth out of harm's way and on the path to productive adulthood.

"While the obstacles we face are large, the members of this Commission have the experience and commitment required to overcome them and move towards a future where no young person, regardless of his or her sexual orientation, or gender identity, will ever be compelled to spend a night on the street," Mullgrav said.

The other members of the commission include: Eliza Byard, Ph.D., executive director, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network; Angela Diaz, director, Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center; Jeffrey Fishberger, MD, supervising psychiatrist, Samuel's Center for Comprehensive Care at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center; Marjorie J. Hill, Ph.D., CEO, Gay Men's Health Crisis; Jerome Kilbane, CEO, Covenant House; Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, senior Rabbi, Congregation Beth Simchat Torah; Thomas Krever, MPA, executive director, Hetrick-Martin Institute; Douglas Lasdon, Founder and executive director, Urban Justice Center; Nancy Mahon, executive director, M·A·C AIDS Fund; Rickke Mananzala, executive director, FIERCE; Robert McMahon, executive director, SCO Family Services; Christine Molnar, executive director, Safe Space; Theresa Nolan, director, NYC Programs, Green Chimneys Children's Services; Rev. Franc Perry, staff pastor, First Metropolitan Community Church of Atlanta; Cindy T. Rizzo, senior director, Arcus Foundation; Therese Rodriguez, CEO, Asian & Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS; Carl Siciliano, Founder and executive director, AFC; Wendy Stark, executive director, Callen Lorde Community Health; Glennda Testone, executive director, LGBT Community Center; Rev. Dr. Terry Troia, pastor, New Utrecht Reformed Church in Brooklyn; Nancy Wackstein, executive director, United Neighborhood Houses; Lisa Winters, executive director, Bronx Community Pride Center; and Michael Zisser, CEO, The Door.

Mananzala, in a statement on the organization's Website, said that FIERCE, as the only youth-led organization appointed to the commission, looks forward to bringing the unique perspectives of the organization's members, LGBT youth of color, to the table.

"The commission is an important step to ensure the needs of LGBT youth are met through effective programs and ample resources. Our appointment demonstrates FIERCE's progress as an effective vehicle for LGBT youth to be experts on the solutions to their own problems. We are glad the city agrees it can and should do more for LGBT youth," said Mananzala.

Noticeably absent from the commission are representatives from Sylvia's Place and the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), which runs and operates a 24-hour shelter in the city, and from Brooklyn-based Gay Men of African Descent, which serves the African-American gay population. Statistics from among the numbers of homeless LGBT youth include significant African-Americans.