Finding a secure place to live has not been easy for 23-year-old Nez Marquez, who has experienced homelessness for the past five years. Born in Mexico and raised in New York, he said he left home at 18 because his family did not accept his gender identity and sexual orientation.
Marquez is now staying at Sylvia’s Place, an emergency shelter for LGBTQ young adults located on the bottom floor of a Manhattan church. He said shelters that specifically cater to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people are safer for him, because he has been subjected to homophobic attacks at general-population shelters. But now, in addition to anti-gay violence and the inherent dangers of life on the streets, Marquez has another fear: the coronavirus and its ripple effects.
Nez Marquez, 23, is staying at Sylvia's Place, an emergency shelter in New York City for LGBTQ teens and young adults.“I’ve been worried about not having housing,” Marquez told NBC News. “If where I’m staying shuts down, I’ll be out of options.” Not only does he worry about being “forced to live in a homophobic environment,” but he also has a congenital lung issue, putting him at higher risk for adverse outcomes if he were to get COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.
LGBTQ youth and young adults, like Marquez, make up a disproportionate number of homeless young people, and this vulnerable demographic is facing unique hardships amid this global health crisis. With countrywide shutdowns of schools and youth programs, diminished office hours at LGBTQ community centers and, for many of them, unsupportive family members, these young Americans and the organizations that serve them are forced to find new ways to receive and provide support.
Fuck them.
Divide, divide, divide. That's what it's all about to the media and the politicians they serve.
All news is now TheOnion
Humans are humans right now...classification not needed..who needs help...we can all fine someone to help right now
It's almost like they are being treated like everyone who lost their community center and don't have family support and are homeless. Wow, I guess they now know what it's like to be equal to the rest of us who don't get special protections.
Why did you write & publish a piece to single them out?
I thought this virus didn’t care about race? So what would It care about sexuality, or pronouns? This sucks for everyone!!!! You can almost hear the media jacking it to all this.
This is garbage reporting which supports a political narrative completely unattached to the current health crisis. This is a disgusting attempt to link your point of view with the current issues - There is no correlation.
...bbbbhlshhhht🤧...excuse me. ...bless you 😷
Ok?
Straight people dying of Corona virus should really check their privilege
So now we are even splitting the homeless into groups.
Let them understand that Mother Nature owns us and we don't own it. There is also no point worrying about Materials when you can't take them with you. Keeping sense of humour & really look after health first then other loved ones health is priority.
Please help my Autistic son. He is in Children's Division Custody in Missouri. He does not understand what is going on. He is very scared. They are letting out prisoners, this does not make sense. Please help get my son release GovParsonMO HawleyMO RepAnnWagner
Hold on let me drop everything going on in my life & stress about .00002% of the population.
Who do you think you are. Collecting your jarofhearts leavethemkidsalone youcanthaveanypudding bringustolife pointtoJesus
Unfortunately there's going to be tensions in a lot of families, but as sad as I feel for gay teens being stuck at home with bigoted parents & siblings, at least they have a home. I just hope we find away through this before we implode.
When I hear people talk about how great Obama was for America, I sometimes ask if they include the federal legalization of 'gay marriage' in his list of achievements. For better, or worse?
Yup, gotta push that agenda. Assholes
Note all of the sub-groups competing for 'victim recognition.'
We must become a better company and be all inclusive, no one is excluded from this virus
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Pandering101. Be selective.
The other homeless kids can die first..they are more important.. Are you Insane?
Gee that’s really too bad.
Was wondering when there was some form of pandering going to happen. Who cares if they're gay? Their sexual preference doesn't matter. Homeless is homeless.
Do you just want to stop at LGBTQ Homeless Youth? Is that a small enough minority? Do you want to also make them a racial minority while you’re at it? Or would that sound too made up?
lgbtq? Wtf is that ? And why do they need any more or less then any other UNITED STATES CITIZENS, JUST ASKIN?
Fake news never get tired of passing around this bullshit agenda.
😢
There are no LGBTQ homeless youths, that is a myth.
I think all homeless youth are particularly vulnerable, leave identity politics out of this!!!
Oh I know what's next: Donald Trump made coronavirus homophobic.
What an egoism! And all others are not “particularly” vulnerable?
How bout services everywhere are lacking everywhere.... keep dividing us NBC. You’ve had a real chance to bring this country together but instead you keep dividing us.
Oh FFS.... Such incredible BS
Let them go back to being normal, straight humans have only the pandemic to worry about, not vulnerability based on sexuality.
lgbt
lgb?
Who are LGbt or whatever? please talk plain
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