Kicked out of their homes, gay teens have a shelter at the Ruth Ellis Center

[LuckyTheDog]

Just in case you are trying to figure out where to put your charitable dollars this holiday season:

They’re bullied in their own homes, some are even kicked out onto the streets by their parents. The teens and 20-somethings you meet at the Ruth Ellis Center all have a story and it’s usually one of hardship.

"My mother doesn’t accept it. She uses the word f**got,” said Desean Waters, a man who is in his 20’s now, he started coming to the Ruth Ellis Center when he was a teenager.

More here: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/wayne_county/kicked-out-of-their-homes,-gay-teens-have-a-shelter-at-the-ruth-ellis-center /div]

[Bluerthanblue]

1. K&R

:grouphug:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

2. Can a parent who kicks a child out for being gay be legally prosecuted?

Curious.

[Xithras]

5. Almost never.

Theoretically, a parent who boots a minor child from their home could be charged with neglect or endangerment, but we're almost always talking about teens here. The problem here is simple: Parent kicks teen out. Teen calls police and tries to get parent in trouble. Parent calls the kid "troubled", says they ran away, and that they're welcome home. DA has no evidence that a crime occurred, so the whole thing is dropped. It's pretty rare for a parent to continue to ban a teen from their home in the face of police pressure, and it's impossible to prosecute the parents if they cave.

Which raises the real problem. Most "kicked out" gay teens could easily be returned to their homes if they wanted, but few really want to go back. What kid wants to live in a home where they are hated by their parents? Where they are constantly mocked, insulted, and denigrated by their parents? When I was in high school, I knew a young lesbian girl (16, I think) who left home after her FATHER suggested that she kill herself, because it would be "less humiliating for the family". The torture these kids endure is heartbreaking, and for many, being kicked out can be a relief. Life on the streets can be a nightmare, but life in their homes can be even worse.

My coming out as bi essentially destroyed my relationship with my mother and stepfather, but I was one of the lucky ones. Aside from the occasional comments about my "sins" and insistence that I regularly speak to people at their church to be "saved", they generally tolerated me until I left for college. I knew many gay and bisexual teens who would have given anything for that kind of "tolerance".

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

9. I wasn't thinking of forcing them to accept the child back, but suing them for support.

I agree, the "they ran away, they're welcome back" BS derails it.

But damn, there should be a way to deal these fuckers some pain.

[Xithras]

10. There really isn't.

People can be monsters. Monsters can be parents. This has been the case for as long as humans have existed.

About the only way to accomplish that would be to get custody assigned to someone else, and then have the new custodial parent sue the birth parents for child support. It's theoretically possible, but it would be a legal minefield.

[DesertFlower]

3. K&R. nt

[Hell Hath No Fury]

4. K&R

[TriMera]

6. k & r. n/t

[delightfulstar]

7. K&R n/t

[AnnieBW]

8. My heart goes out to these teens

Seriously, if their parents don't want them, can I foster a gay teen? I don't care who they are attracted to. Just do your homework, get decent grades, and stay off of drugs. That's all we'd ask as parents.

[dsc]

11. kick for later reading