It didn't take long for advocates of the LGBT community to come out in droves slamming NYC Mayor Bloomberg for his hypocritical It Get's Better video and for good reason. Carl Siciliano, Director of the Ali Forney Center which caters to homeless LGBT youth slammed the mayor after the man recently cut funds that would benefit our growing homeless problem, many of those teens lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.
"Two days after slashing support to homeless youth programs in New York City, Mayor Bloomberg has the gall to release a video telling LGBT youth that 'It Gets Better.' Mayor Bloomberg, your cruel and reckless cuts to the meager support system for homeless LGBT youth in New York City just made things for them much worse! On January 1st, Bloomberg cut support for outreach to homeless youth in half, cut most drop-in centers for homeless youth by a third, and cut support for the two LGBT homeless youth drop-in programs in half. In New York City there are over 1,000 LGBT youth suffering on the streets every night without access to safe shelter. The drop-in centers and outreach are their only support. Homeless LGBT youth are at incredible risk of suicide with 62% reporting that they have considered or attempted suicide.
The LGBT community needs to recognize these cuts as an attack against our most vulnerable youth, and against us as a whole. We pay just as much taxes as anyone, and there are far too few City-funded programs that support our most vulnerable youth. If we can be treated like this in a city with as strong an community as NYC, how will our youth ever get their fair share of the resources they need and deserve? I cannot speak strongly enough about what a horror it is to have LGBT youth who have been discarded by homophobic parents flock to us for help, and to have to counsel them to sleep in the subways because there are not nearly enough beds for them."
I have been saying for the longest that the focus needs to shift away from DADT and gay marriage, and we need to protect our future generations. Yes it will be great to have the benefits of heterosexuals, but with the large amount of suicides, and many teens kicked out of their homes for who they are, and doing whatever they need to do to survive on the streets, there may not be a future for the youth if we as well as this asshole mayor - who got lucky with his ridiculous and unnecessary third term continues to ignore our youth. There are many social service organzations that are underfunded, and I wish people who have the money would use their power for good instead of putting the cash in unnecessary places - like making sure all the snow is gone before the New Year's Eve parties in Time Square.
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