H is for Homelessness

Landon, one of the main characters in my WIP, Loving Landon, is homeless at the beginning of the story. I didn’t do that intentionally as a political statement, but through my research, I discovered just what a startlingly realistic and frightening situation this is for far too many LGBT young people.

Via Social Work License Map and MSW@USC

Landon is in many ways one of the lucky ones. He is older. He has both identification and a high school diploma which gives him access to many things that many homeless youth do not have, and because this is fiction, he eventually gets a HEA.

Life, unfortunately is not fiction, and that is not the reality for a great many young people in this situation. I’ll get back to the fun fiction posts tomorrow, but I had to take a moment to shed what little light I could on this startling reality.

4 Comments

Megan Mucgaels on June 8, 2014 at 10:11 am

I helped open a food shelf 16 years ago and was amazed at how many people are hungry, losing a place to live or are homeless. The LGBT community is a forgotten sector many days and yet are so hurt and lost. Breaks my heart. Thanks for doing this post. It’s so important!!

Joelle Casteel on June 8, 2014 at 12:51 pm

thanks for taking on this topic- too few people realize this. The book that I reviewed for #SeductiveSnS starts with one of the main characters homeless as well

Maren Smith on June 8, 2014 at 3:56 pm

When you think of homelessness, it’s so easy to say, just get off the street. Get a job. Start participating in society. What people don’t think about, is just how impossible that is without something like ID, or a physical address, or access to clean clothes and a shower. This is, like Joelle said, such an important topic and yet such a heartbreaking one.