Pride
June is recognized as Pride Month in the United States in honor of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. In 1966, the mafia renovated and reopened the Stonewall Inn located in Greenwich Village in New York City. During this time period it was illegal for gay individuals to hold hands, kiss, dance, etc. in public so many bars and restaurants weren’t exactly welcoming to the LGBTQ community. The mafia saw an opportunity to cater to this group and became a night-life haven for the gay community. Thanks to some well-placed bribes by the Genovese family, the police frequently looked the other way when it came to mafia-owned bars. Nonetheless, on the morning of June 28th, the NYPD raided the Stonewall Inn and made 13 arrests for bootleg liquor and gender-appropriate clothing violations. Neighbors and bar patrons, sick of the police harassment, gathered outside the nightclub and threw coins and bottles at the police. Crowds gathered to protest for the next five days, and one year after the initial riot, thousands of people marched from the Stonewall Inn to Central Park in what is considered to be the first Gay Pride Parade.
The Stonewall Uprising inspired LGBTQ political activism across the country, including the formation of many gay-rights organizations. The last Sunday in June was celebrated as Gay Pride day until President Bill Clinton designated the whole month of June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month in 1999. President Obama renamed it to LGBT Pride Month and President Biden expanded it to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride Month.
While incredible progress has been made since 1966, there is still work that needs to be done, especially around homelessness. According to the 2018 Minnesota Homeless Study conducted by the Wilder foundation, 11% of individuals who identify as homeless also identify as LGBTQ. When compared to the percentage of all Minnesotans who identify as LGBTQ, which is 4%, it suggests that LGBTQ individuals are over-represented in the Minnesota homeless population. Analysis of the data from the Minnesota Homeless Study goes on to suggest that homeless LGBTQ individuals experience higher rates of violence and exploitation than the overall homeless population. In addition, higher proportions of homeless LGBTQ individuals who identify as indigenous or as a person of color reported spending the night on public transportation and having been turned away from a shelter in the last three months because it was full than reported by white LGBTQ individuals experiencing homelessness.
It’s clear that within the network of social services there needs to be additional resources and training dedicated to LGBTQ individuals experiencing homelessness. An article addressing Homlessness and Housing by Youth.gov gives these suggestions for shelter, outreach, and housing programs:
analyzing how staff are screened before being hired
providing professional development to current staff, including enhanced training to identify and respond to trauma experienced by this population
engaging LGBTQ+ youth as full partners in strengthening and improving systems and services
locating LGBT-sensitive outreach, services, and housing options in or near predominantly black and multiracial communities equitably
developing partnerships with the LGBTQ+ community to connect youth with adult LGBTQ+ role models
For additional individual resources, the Minnesota Teen Mental Health Directory found on mnteenmentalhealth.org has a comprehensive list of organizations that provide services specifically for LGBTQ youth.
