November 25, 2011
"A Day in Our Shoes" Reveals Life of Homeless LGBT Youth
Robert Doyle READ TIME: 2 MIN.
New York, NY - There are an estimated 3,800 homeless youth in New York City. About 1,500 of them identity as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Government funding provides fewer than 200 shelter beds for all homeless children in the city. In The Life Media's A Day in Our Shoes features a day in the life of a homeless teenager in New York City.
This year, the State of New York slashed its budget for homeless youth services by 50%, despite the already inadequate funding for shelter space and services.
"I don't know how anybody could say the State budget didn't cut critical services when they're cutting shelter beds for children sleeping on the street. What the hell is a safety net if it's not a shelter bed for a child who's sleeping on the street at night?" says Lewis A. Fidler, New York Council Member, 46th District.
For more on LGBT youth experiencing homelessness, WATCH IN THE LIFE's November episode, "Finding Home." IN THE LIFE takes a stark look at youth kicked out of their homes from New York to Illinois to California and speaks with Cyndi Lauper about her True Colors Residence, New York City's first permanent, affordable housing for LGBT, at-risk youth: http://bit.ly/s0CJfZ
For twenty years, In The Life Media has been a leading media organization for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) movement. One of the nation's most honored and influential LGBT groups, In The Life Media creates social and political change by examining issues critical to LGBT individuals and providing audiences with powerful ways to advance equality within, and beyond, their communities.
Produced by In The Life Media, the Emmy-nominated series, IN THE LIFE, was the first-and remains the only-LGBT issues-oriented show on public television. IN THE LIFE is a two-time Emmy Award nominee, a Lambda Legal Liberty Award honoree, a Seigenthaler Award recipient from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and a Ribbon of Hope Award recipient from The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences: www.ITLMedia.org
To WATCH A Day in Our Shoes, go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXv1-fHd6Ug
Long-term New Yorkers, Mark and Robert have also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center, Mark is a PhD in American history and literature, as well as the author of the novels Wolfchild and My Hawaiian Penthouse. Robert is the producer of the documentary We Are All Children of God. Their work has appeared in numerous publications, as well as at : www.mrny.com.
