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Originally Posted by cnredd
I declare "bullshit"...
About the facts stated?...Nope...
About the JUMP that this percentage is due to preants having issues with their child's sexuality...
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First of all, we need to keep this in perspective.
The percentages are based on percentages of HOMELESS YOUTH.
Comparing that to ALL youths, including those that are not homeless, we're automatically reducing the percentage down rather significantly.
Most gay youths do not run away.
Second of all, obviously there are SOME expected "routine" reasons for running away for gay youth.
In a perfectly "average" world where gays are not over-represented, we would expect gay homeless population to be about 5%.
Third, there are other contributing factors. Some gay kids drop out of high school because of harassment, which could be another cause for a "run-away" situation.
Okay. Writing this before I get to your objections, let's see if we have any overlap...
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Originally Posted by cnredd
Nowhere does it say in the article that the REASON for this percentage is BECAUSE they're homosexual...In fact, I doubt the number is even half...
Consider the following...
1) Do parents of a heterosexual child throw their heterosexual child out because they consider their heterosexual child a "lazy bum" that sits in the basement listening to Iron maiden until 4AM and then spends the day playing XBox instead of "doing something with their life"?...
You betchya...
And there is NOTHING that would dissuade me from believing the exact same thing about parents of a homosexual child either...
2) Do parents of a heterosexual child throw their heterosexual child out because their heterosexual child has repeatedly used drugs and alcohol in and out of the home and their parents have lost hope that their heterosexual child can recover?
You betchya...
And there is NOTHING that would dissuade me from believing the exact same thing about parents of a homosexual child either...
3) Do parents of a heterosexual child throw their heterosexual child out because their heterosexual child is in a relationship with a person their parents disapprove of based on either narrowminded objections such as race, nationality, or how long their hair is or larger objections such as criminal record or longterm "bad influence"?...
You betchya...
And there is NOTHING that would dissuade me from believing the exact same thing about parents of a homosexual child either...
4) Could I think of a multitude of other reasons that are shared by both heterosexual children and homosexual children where "hetero-" and "homo" were not an issue?...
You betchya...
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All of the above would essentially set up a situation where the percentage of homeless gay youths is exactly the same as the percentage of gay youths in our society.
About 5%.
Ergo, the other "20-35%" still needs to be covered...
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Originally Posted by cnredd
Now this point is VERY important...
5) How many of these homosexual homeless are on the streets by CHOICE?...
How many of them are using the very same "My parents just don't understand me!" excuse used by thousands of heterosexual runaways because they like their tattoos and piercings and music and lifestyle and felt living with their parents was too uncomfortable?...I'm absolutely SURE that many of these runaways had a secure home they could've stayed in but CHOSE to leave..I'm also sure that many parents have said "The door is always open" hoping for them to return one day.
25-40% of the homeless on the street are gay?...OK...
25-40% of the homeless are on the street BECAUSE they're gay?...
I don't think so...  |
Quite frankly, in a lot of ways I see this as an extension of the above 1-4, but I listed it separately because of potential additional connotations.
Based on personal experience and life stories from gay people I know, I don't find this as anywhere near significant.
I personally don't know any gay people who were homeless as youth.
But I do know a couple gay people who would be cut out of the family if they came out.
I do know one gay person whose brother came out, and his father attacked him.
I know some gay people whose partners are not welcome at "family" events.
And these are just the stories I know.
Considering all the crap that is out there that gays have to go through, I just don't see how some "discomfort" would be significant enough for gays to cause them to just run-away without any parental "coercion".
It would be like jumping away from a monkey when King Kong is standing behind you...