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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (April 20, 2001)
26 •apii2£L 2QÛ1 LIVING vn u p Il II Former U .S. Rep. Edith ||| Green was one of the founders of the Greenhou&i drop-m center Portland's invisible homeless youth by Natalie Shapiro Photos by Marty Davis T they are far more mature than their actual age o most people, they’re invisible. But between 2,000 and 3,000 of would suggest. “We deal with different things than other them are in downtown Portland kids— our issues are pregnancy, drugs,” Chantel each day and night. Most have been thrown out of their home or says. “We grow up really fast.” have been physically, verbally and sexually Stephanie adds: “My mind is not a 16-year- old’s. I feel much older.” abused. They are Portland’s homeless youth. “Youth end up on the street for a variety of Chantel has been in foster homes all her reasons: abuse, neglect, abandonment or drug life. She hints at an interest to return home, but abuse by the youth or the family. With most of difficulties with her parents, as well as her drug the kids 1 work with, there has been violence in use, make that an unrealistic choice. their families,” explains Favor, who until “If my parents tried raising me now— there’s recently worked as a service coordinator at no point,” she says. “I can’t be stable there, but Outside In, an advocacy group that assists I can’t be stable here, on the streets.” homeless youth and adults. There’s another reason kids end up on the street. “Many, many times the family cannot accept that their kids are gay,” says Favor, who specializes in working with sexual minorities. According to the U .S. Department of Health and Human Services, one in four gay and lesbian teens are forced to leave home because of a conflict about sexual orientation. A 1998 study conducted by the Oregon Research Institute of 600 street youth in Port land revealed 11 percent of males and 41 per cent of females self-identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual. “There’s a higher percentage of sexual minority youth on the streets and in shelters because their home situations are intolerable or they have been kicked out,” states Ken Kerr, associate program director for the Willamette Bridge Program, part of Janus Youth Services, which works with homeless youth. John Duke, Outside In clinic manager, adds: “Often taking to the streets is a positive step for Whether gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgen- kids getting out of a bad home situation. Or dered or straight, these kids face similar hard sometimes it’s their only choice, as with fami ships. To endure life on the streets, they hand lies that cannot accept that their child is gay.” together as a family and rely on state-run youth Chantel, 17, identifies as bisexual but left programs for their basic needs. home because of other conflicts. She has been Safety, drugs, health and violence are living on and off the streets since she was 13. among the challenges they face. The key to sur vival seems to be in meeting the right people. Stephanie and Brandy, both 16, also have been on the streets for a long time. To the casu “When they first come downtown on the al observer, they don’t appear homeless. streets, it’s hard to he safe,” Favor says. “The They dress neatly and lack the desperate first couple weeks on the street are the hard demeanor many homeless adults have. But est— they don’t know people, who to trust, once they open their mouths, it’s painfully clear finding the resources.” Chantel says she was lucky when she first got on the streets. “I met the right people.” These friends were what she calls gutter punks. “They stink, they’re fuckin’ hard-core— mohawks, baggy pants,” she laughs. “1 trust them.” Access to health care presents another chal lenge to homeless youth, Duke says. The system is designed for those who know how to use it— making appointments, being insured and hav ing a home address. “So, with homeless youth, without a home or mailing address, it’s a no-win situation,” he says. “Without health care you can use the emergency room but are turned away unless it’s truly an emergency. If you go to doctors, you get bills that you can’t pay, then you are afraid to go back.” Without proper access to health care, com pounded with harsh living situations, street kids are at high risk for myriad illnesses. Duke says the Outside In clinic most commonly sees upper respiratory infections. “This comes from exposure to rain and cold, pw r nutrition and not being able to sleep at night.” Although youth in general tend to take risks and feel immortal, living on the streets com pounds these risk behaviors. The Oregon Research Institute study found that young women and girls on the streets had a 20 percent annual incidence of pregnancy, a 12 percent rate of chlamydia and a 25 percent rate of herpes; 11.5 percent of homeless boys had hepatitis C. Mental illness is also prevalent among home less kids. The study found that 23 percent of the girls and 6 percent of the boys were diagnosed with depression. O f those, 46.5 percent of the girls and 34.5 percent of the boys admitted to past suicide attempts. Being a sexual minority youth compounds the risk of suicide. In one study, 53 percent of gay-identified street youth had attempted suicide compared with 32 percent of street youth over all. Homeless gay young men have a higher risk of health problems. “It’s a paradox,” Duke says. “They’re gaining self-respect by being a gay male. In our culture being gay is often seen as a function of sexuality. So oftentimes adolescents come out, embrace the stereotypes. They gain confidence being gay— they come out like they couldn’t in schools. There is also more risk-tak ing, with increased numbers of sex partners, increased amount of drugs with sex.” He pauses. “The paradox is—before they came out, they had less risk behavior, but their mental health was in worse shape.” Another big problem for street kids is dmgs. Drugs are part of the street culture, and they are easy to acquire. Chantel herself is a heroin addict. “When I first got on the street, someone handed me a packet of heroin. I had never seen it before. Drugs are a main part of our lives. They are so easily found down here. My drug use is a lot of why I am down here." Charnel's story is echoed by many other street youth. The Oregon Research Institute study found that 98 percent of Portland’s home less youth experimented with dmgs and alcohol and that 40 percent experimented with intra venous drugs. Sexual minority homeless youth are also at a higher risk for drug use. “When struggling with sexual identity, kids use dmgs to gain acceptance and to deal with it,” Favor says. * * t *
