www.KickedOutAnthology.com
October 2009
Homofactus Press
Edited by Sassafras Lowrey
Foreword by Judy Shepard
40% of homeless youth in the United States identify as LGBTQ. Kicked Out brings together the voices of current and former homeless LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) youth to address the growing epidemic and tell the forgotten
stories of some of our community’s youngest and most vulnerable members. Editor Sassafras Lowrey brought together the stories of over 20 diverse contributors to share stories of survival while weaving together descriptions of abuse with poignant
accounts of the sanctuary of community and the power of creating chosen families. Also included are the nuanced perspectives of leading organizations such as The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and The National Alliance Against Homelessness as well as regional agencies like Sylvia’s Place, The Circus Project and Family Builders. Kicked Out gives voice to the often forgotten members of our community and challenges the stereotypical face of homelessness.
For information for press or about booking a reading or workshop please contact editor Sassafras Lowrey at Sassafras@KickedOutAnthology.com
October 2009
Homofactus Press
Edited by Sassafras Lowrey
Foreword by Judy Shepard
40% of homeless youth in the United States identify as LGBTQ. Kicked Out brings together the voices of current and former homeless LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) youth to address the growing epidemic and tell the forgotten
stories of some of our community’s youngest and most vulnerable members. Editor Sassafras Lowrey brought together the stories of over 20 diverse contributors to share stories of survival while weaving together descriptions of abuse with poignant
accounts of the sanctuary of community and the power of creating chosen families. Also included are the nuanced perspectives of leading organizations such as The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and The National Alliance Against Homelessness as well as regional agencies like Sylvia’s Place, The Circus Project and Family Builders. Kicked Out gives voice to the often forgotten members of our community and challenges the stereotypical face of homelessness.
For information for press or about booking a reading or workshop please contact editor Sassafras Lowrey at Sassafras@KickedOutAnthology.com
Excerpt from "Ethnography" by Ricky Price
I began volunteering for the Shelter on a weekly basis, initially attending an information session run by Lucky Michaels, the director of the Metropolitan Community Church of New York City’s (MCCNY) Homeless Youth Services. Lucky is a sprightly young gay man in his late twenties. He’s worked at the shelter since its inception and was promoted to Director of Homeless Services the previous summer. Lucky has a shaved head, which makes visible his tattoo of a circle with two horns, placed off-center on the back of his head. He usually dresses casually in jeans and a t-shirt, occasionally wearing a hooded sweatshirt. His clothes are baggy giving him a scrappy appearance that belies his remarkable ability at 5’7” or 5’8” to take command of the often-chaotic conditions at the shelter; his fervency and passion for his work emanate from his demeanor and personality. At the end of the information session Lucky stated, “These kids are rejected everywhere they go, this is the only place that’s theirs.” This statement would prove prescient as ideas, thoughts and sites of rejection became one of the most common themes throughout the ethnographic study.
When traveling to the site I take the F train to 34th Street and 6th avenue and from there it’s about a fifteen-minute walk to the shelter. The walk takes me across three avenue blocks, past the buzz of Madison Square Garden and the energy of the garment district. There is a swift change in this energy as I cross from 8th avenue to 9th : the throngs of people thin out and buildings quickly devolve from busy commercial restaurants and clothing stores into rundown apartment buildings. Colors also shift from bright red, blue and yellow to pale and paltry grays. The exit ramp for the Lincoln tunnel splits 36th street in half as I walk from 9th to 10th avenue and acts as a physical barrier between the western side of Manhattan and the bustle of midtown. Crossing the ramp is difficult and I wait five to seven minutes for an opportunity. It’s an area where the traffic feels dangerous and I often find myself comparing it to a great river crossing. During these moments I can’t help but see a symbolic significance within this physical barrier, a man-made asphalt river separating the shelter from the world.
When traveling to the site I take the F train to 34th Street and 6th avenue and from there it’s about a fifteen-minute walk to the shelter. The walk takes me across three avenue blocks, past the buzz of Madison Square Garden and the energy of the garment district. There is a swift change in this energy as I cross from 8th avenue to 9th : the throngs of people thin out and buildings quickly devolve from busy commercial restaurants and clothing stores into rundown apartment buildings. Colors also shift from bright red, blue and yellow to pale and paltry grays. The exit ramp for the Lincoln tunnel splits 36th street in half as I walk from 9th to 10th avenue and acts as a physical barrier between the western side of Manhattan and the bustle of midtown. Crossing the ramp is difficult and I wait five to seven minutes for an opportunity. It’s an area where the traffic feels dangerous and I often find myself comparing it to a great river crossing. During these moments I can’t help but see a symbolic significance within this physical barrier, a man-made asphalt river separating the shelter from the world.
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