wv?m?
Q
ueer runaways are at significantly
greater risk for negative outcomes
than are their heterosexual counter
parts, according to a study published
in the May issue of the American
ublic Health.
Am ong the grim statistics: Gay, lesbian, bi
and trans runaways had twice as many life
time sexual partners (24) as their straight
peers; they were twice as likely to report not
using protection “all of the time” during sex;
they were more likely to have used illegal
drugs and more types of those drugs; and they
were more likely to have been the victim of
physical abuse, both before they left home
and as runaways.
Bryan H. Cochran, a graduate student at
University of Washington, analyzed a survey of
375 adolescents 13 to 21 years old conducted in
Seattle between 1995 and 1998. The informa
tion was gathered during interviews that could
last up to two hours.
The overwhelming majority of the queer
youth— 71 of 84— identified as bi rather than
any of the other categories. “Sexual orientation
is a dynamic variable” that can change over
time, particularly with youth who are in the
process of establishing their sense of self,
Cochran said.
He pointed to other recently published work
demonstrating “adolescents who identified as
bisexual are at a particular risk even above those
who identified as gay or lesbian.” That could be
because in many places gay and lesbian youth
have community support and resources to draw
upon, while "you really don’t have a bisexual
community, per se.”
The “double stigma”— the combination of
being homeless and queer— “ is what leads
Q ueer
R unaways
at R isk
P ortland
R esources
University of Washington study
reveals grim statistics
E
by Bob Roehr
adolescents to have these difficulties,”
Cochran said.
Increased societal awareness of homosexual
ity can be a double-edged sword. It can lead to
kids coming out of the closet at an earlier age,
when they are more dependent on their fami
lies. It also can result in parents being more
aware and pressing questions that in an earlier
time they might have overlooked. This has the
potential for creating both affirming and
destructive family dynamics.
Cochran believes the first step to improving
the situation is to try to reduce the overall inci
dence of runaways. That means increased serv
ices for families in turmoil and for questioning
youth. He suggested programs that teach kids
how to come out to their parents and deal with
those issues “so that they are not running away
out of fear of how their family might react.”
Once a youth does run away, "street outreach
workers need to recognize that sexual orienta
tion is an important factor in determining the
experience that these kids will have on the
— i ]19
streets. It’s not enough to say, ‘This is a homeless
adolescent.’ ”
As kids go in and out of the system, Cochran
believes “they are encountering homophobia at
many different levels. They may be encountering
it with the social service system, maybe in foster
home placements, maybe with their family of
origin. So it really is a matter of no place to go.”
Cochran recently received his first “wacko”
homophobic letter in response to the article. He
said, “Seeing things like this makes me realize
that there is still work to be done. ” jm
arlier this year
Outside
In
moved out of two
near-dilapidated
tum -of-the-century
homes
downtown
into a $5 million,
four-story building
with about 27,500
square
fee t
at
1132 S.W. 13th Ave.
Queer and question
ing kids constitute
nearly 40 percent of the homeless clients served
by the agency.
“This one-stop service site for homeless
youth will provide not cmly housing but a state-
of-the-art medical clinic, case management, an
employment resource center, day program and
both alcohol/drug and HIV prevention serv
ices," executive director Kathy Oliver told Just
Out in February. “Programs in this facility will
offer sound, long-term solutions for Portland’s
homeless youth."
For more information call 503-535-3801 or visit
B ob R oehr is a free-lance reporter based in
Washington, D .C .
the Internet site uw w .outsidein.org.