Quickies: Homeless LGBTQ Youth Edition

• LGBTQ Youth Homelessness is on the Rise – “The face of the gay-rights movement shouldn’t be what I call ’40-year-old well-moisturized couples.’ The face of the gay-rights movement should be a 15-year-old kid that’s been thrown out of his house and taught that he’s a sinner.”
• Megan Smith named US Chief Technology Officer – “The job involves leading the administration’s efforts to ‘unleash the power of technology, data, and innovation to help meet our nation’s goals and the needs of our citizens,’ according to The White House.” Smith, a Google executive and former CEO of PlanetOut, also happens to be gay.
• Update on Daniel Pierce and Lost N’ Found Youth – Pierce, the youth who’s viral video captured his family rejecting him for being gay and spurred an overwhelming response in donations, is directing further donations to go to Lost N’ Found Youth. Atlata’s only LGBT youth shelter, Lost N’ Found Youth needs funding renovate an old building into an 18-bed transitional housing center.
• HRC Attempts to Mend Fences with Trans Community – HRC President Chad Griffin gave the keynote speech at Southern Comfort, a 4-day symposium on transgender issues in Atlanta. The speech included apologies for past transgressions and promises to make trans issues more central to the HRC’s work. You can read the full text in the link.
• “Not Ready to Love a Gay Child? Then Don’t Have Kids” – “So if you are thinking about creating a family with someone, stop and think. Ask yourself, ‘Will this person love the children we create?’ If the answer is ‘Maybe not,’ then perhaps it is time to take a big step back and do some real thinking.”
• Michael Sam Broadens Our Views of Black Gays – When Sam joined the Cowboys practice team, he became the latest addition to a very select group: traditionally masculine black gay icons.

Featured Image from Redux via Rolling Stone