Tag: LGBT youth homelessness

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Ellen Celebrates Disowned Gay Valedictorian Seth Owen

Ellen DeGeneres surprises formerly homeless gay valedictorian Seth Owen
Seth Owen and Ellen DeGeneres (screen capture)

This past summer, I reported on the story of Seth Owen, a high school student who became homeless after his father did a deep dive into his cell phone and discovered Seth was gay.

The intrusion into Seth’s personal life began a series of events that led to a year of being subjected to so-called ‘conversion therapy,’ forced to attend a church that was virulently anti-gay, and eventually being thrown out of his home.

However, homelessness would not deter Seth.

Incredibly, while coach-surfing throughout his senior year of high school, he maintained a 4.16 GPA and graduated as co-valedictorian of his class.

Even as he celebrated his amazing achievement, Seth learned after he was accepted to prestigious Georgetown University that his parents reneged on any financial support leaving him far short of the funds to attend his first semester this fall.

One of Seth’s teachers who recognized his strength and burgeoning potential launched a GoFundMe campaign to help him cover the shortfall. Seth’s story and the campaign went viral exceeding all expectations by raising over $141,000.

Thanks to the LGBT media covering the story, Georgetown University took another look at Seth’s situation and granted him a full ride to the school.

This week Ellen DeGeneres welcomed Seth to her show to celebrate him and his amazing fortitude in the face of so many obstacles.

This week Ellen DeGeneres welcomed Seth to her show to celebrate him and his amazing fortitude in the face of so many obstacles.
Ellen DeGeneres welcomes Seth Owen to her show

Chatting on the show, Seth gave credit to Ellen for his becoming co-valedictorian saying many late nights he would look up her videos for uplift and inspiration. “There were so many times, so many times that you really pulled me through,” said Seth. “I really do appreciate that.”

He also shared the story of how his dad invaded his privacy searching through his phone which led to ‘ex-gay therapy’ treatment.

“The dangerous part about that is that, as a patient, I believed this healthcare professional was doing what was best for me,” Seth explained. “I didn’t see any progress, so it’s very depressing.”

But after his incredible journey to college, Seth gushes about his first two weeks at Georgetown saying, “I love it – It’s amazing. I would not want to be anywhere else but Georgetown.”

The 18-year-old also mentioned that the school’s staff has been very supportive.

“As a Jesuit university, we have residential ministers on our floors, and she told me that she was here to support me,” said Seth. “As someone who’s been through something like this with religion, it meant the world to me to hear from a spiritual advisor to say they have my back.”

Asked about the amazing GoFundMe campaign, Seth explained that after college he’ll use leftover funds to establish a scholarship program for LGBTQ youth who find themselves in a similar situation heading to university.

Following that news, Ellen stunned Seth announcing that she and Cheerios would be donating $25,000 to help begin Seth’s scholarship program.

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Homeless Gay Valedictorian Gets Full Scholarship To Georgetown University

Seth Owen

What wonderful news.

Via The Hill:

Seth Owen, a high school valedictorian from Florida whose parents ostracized him because of his sexuality, has reportedly been offered a full-ride scholarship to attend Georgetown University in the fall. Owen, who graduated from First Coast High School in Jacksonville with a 4.16 GPA, captured headlines late last month after one of his teachers set up a fundraising page to raise money for his first year’s tuition at Georgetown.

“While the campaign has been ongoing, the professionals at the Office of Student Financial Services have continued to work with me to make my dream a reality,” Owen said on Friday in a statement sent to NBC News. “Due to their efforts and attention, they were able to adjust my aid package even further, my expected contribution is now $0. With these new adjustments, I will be able to attend Georgetown University this fall.”

Seth says he’s going to set up a scholarship fund for LGBTQ students “who find themselves in the circumstance I was in earlier this year.”

At this writing, the GoFundMe campaign is over $139,000.

Just spectacular news.

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UPDATED: Rejected By Parents, Homeless Gay Teen Becomes Co-Valedictorian

Seth Owen

UPDATE: Since the LGBTQ media covered Seth’s story, the GoFundMe campaign has raised over $111,000 to help Seth in his college journey at Georgetown University. #HappyDance!

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Just about everyone’s senior year of high school is fraught with stress, obstacles and challenges.

But its safe to say most teens don’t have the year Seth Owen just faced.

In the middle of his sophomore year in Jacksonville, Florida, his father decided to take an unapproved dive into his son’s cell phone, and in doing so realized Owen was gay.

His “Christian” parents gave him an ultimatum: submit to so-called “conversion therapy” counseling and attend their anti-LGBTQ church or leave the house.

Speaking to News4Jax, Owen explained, “They made it clear the intention was to make me straight.”

While he continued to live with his parents, Seth found reasons to stay away from home. From after-school programs to swimming, Owen says he felt like he was “doing something good with the struggle instead of doing something damaging.”

When he finally put his foot down about the anti-LGBTQ church, he was forced to move out this past February with no financial or emotional support from his parents.

“I was really, really upset,” Owen shares. “It was extremely hurtful to know that I was walking out that door not knowing what lay ahead and feeling I don’t know how to explain it, it was devastating, absolutely devastating.”

Sleeping on friends couches and holding down jobs to support himself, Owen did what seems almost impossible: he maintained a 4.16 GPA becoming the co-valedictorian of First Coast High School’s class of 2018.

Owen had already been accepted to Georgetown University receiving a $50,000 scholarship. But, the remaining $27,000 of the $77,000 annual tuition was to be covered by his parents.

With no support in sight from his parents, one of Owen’s teachers created a crowd funding campaign to help the 18-year old. (Please hit the link and donate even a small amount).

“I don’t think thank you is good enough,” Owen says. “Of course I am extremely grateful, but I think thank you doesn’t say it. Now it’s time to pay it forward.”

With an inspiring attitude, Owen says he plans to become a defense attorney for neglected teens who find themselves in situations like his.

Watch the report from News4Jax below.

UPDATE: A Georgetown University spokesperson reached out after I published this report with this statement:

“Georgetown University admits and enrolls students without regard to their financial circumstances and is committed to meeting the demonstrated financial need of eligible students through a combination of aid programs that include grants, scholarships, employment and loans from federal, state, private, and University resources. While we cannot comment on any individual case, we work closely with students whose financial circumstances change after admission to modify financial aid assistance and ensure they can still enroll regardless of their ability to pay.”

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Podcast: Homeless Gay Teen Survives & Thrives To Become Valedictorian; ‘Riverdale’ Gets A Gay Romance

In this week's podcast: • A homeless gay teen becomes valedictorian of his class. Head to www.gofundme.com/hoyaseth to contribute to his college fund. • Puerto Rico now allows transgender folks to change the gender on their birth certificates. • The hit TV series Riverdale is getting a gay romance. • The CW's Supergirl will debut television's first transgender super-hero. • Ryan Reynolds wants to see more sexuality in his Deadpool movies All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.

In this week’s podcast:

• A homeless gay teen becomes valedictorian of his class. Head to www.gofundme.com/hoyaseth to contribute to his college fund.

• Puerto Rico now allows transgender folks to change the gender on their birth certificates.

• The hit TV series Riverdale is getting a gay romance.

• The CW’s Supergirl will debut television’s first transgender super-hero.

• Ryan Reynolds wants to see more sexuality in his Deadpool movies

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.

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Chosen Family: Tyler Oakley Explores LGBTQ Youth Homelessness

Tyler Oakley presents Chosen Family - Stories of Queer Resilience

YouTuber Tyler Oakley took time to examine just how homelessness affects young LGBTs in a new episode of his online series, Chosen Family.

From Tyler:

When thinking of stories to explore for this season of Chosen Family, a big queer experience I realized I didn’t know much about, was LGBTQ+ youth homelessness.

I visited the Los Angeles LGBT Center in Hollywood for a tour of the Center & to meet with a group of young LGBTQ+ people who have experienced homelessness to hear their stories firsthand. I also got to meet Alexandra Grey, who before becoming a successful actress and singer, was homeless and got help from the Center.

To learn more about the Los Angeles LGBT Center and its services, visit LALGBTCenter.org or to find one of the centers nearest you, visit LGBTCenters.org

Sage, Michael, Sunjay, & Orion – 4 queer young people who have experienced homelessness
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News Round-Up: April 20, 2017

Some news items you may have missed:

• Jerry Herman’s classic Broadway musical Hello, Dolly! returns to the Great White Way tonight at the Shubert Theatre in a brand new revival starring a reportedly delicious Bette Midler. I made my Broadway debut in the last revival back in 1995 (I’m on the far left above) when Carol Channing made a spectacular return to the role of “Dolly Levi.” Wishing this new cast all the best for a fantastic run!

• TIME Magazine names Gavin Grimm, Sarah Paulson and RuPaul to this year’s “100 Most Influential People” list.

• Adam Medrano, the council member who chairs City Hall’s LGBT Task Force, has made LGBT youth homelessness a top priority. His leadership has led to the creation of Outlast Youth, a collaborative effort intent on finding beds, counseling, health care and job training for homeless LGBT youth.

• On the other end of the spectrum in Texas news, Governor Abbott says he wants to sign a transgender “bathroom bill.”

• Turning this year’s Pride Parade in Los Angeles into an anti-Trump march is making it tough to attract the event’s usual sponsors.

• CNN spoke to to two men who describe being detained, beaten and tortured in Chechnya as part of the country’s violent crackdown on homosexuality. Watch below:

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Madonna Spends Thanksgiving With Homeless LGBT Teens

Outstanding.

The Queen of Pop herself, Madonna, spent her Thanksgiving with homeless LGBT youth of the Ali Forney Center in New York City.

The Ali Forney Center is the largest and most comprehensive organization in the nation dedicated to housing LGBT youth.

AFC serves youth aged 16-24, and provides emergency and transitional housing, street outreach, a drop-in center, medical and mental health treatment, a vocational/educational program, and a counseling project for the families of LGBT youth.

Earlier this year, I interviewed Carl Siciliano, founder and executive director of The Ali Forney Center. An awesome and inspiring man who walks the walk when it comes to helping people. Take a listen to my interview here.

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Cyndi Lauper: We Need To End LGBT Youth Homelessness

Cyndi Lauper pens this essay on LGBT youth homelessness for The Advocate:

It’s an election year and there’s a lot of talk about what our nation’s priorities need to be for the next four to eight years. What we have to make sure is not forgotten is the epidemic of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth homelessness. Up to 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBT, yet fewer than 7 percent of kids nationwide are LGBT. That discrepancy is outrageous, and it’s something we can’t ignore. That’s why, on April 27, 2016, we will raise our voices for #40toNoneDay: a national day organized by the True Colors Fund to raise public awareness about LGBT youth homelessness.

While family rejection is the most commonly cited reason for LGBT youth homelessness, it’s just one piece of the puzzle — a very big puzzle. We need to make sure we’re seeing the whole picture.

People often think that because they don’t work at a homeless shelter, they don’t have a role to play. The reality is: everyone can make a difference! Think of it this way: Kids experiencing homelessness come into contact with more than just the good folks working at shelters. They also go to coffee shops and libraries. They ride the bus. They’re on the Internet. You may interact with them on a regular basis without even realizing it. We all need to put our heads together to make sure these young people can get support wherever they go — and be themselves when they get there.

Right now people all across America are making a difference. A 24-hour diner owner in North Carolina is giving kids a place to stay when they have nowhere else to go. A library in Indiana is letting kids without a permanent address use computers to access lifesaving resources. In Minnesota police officers are using an app developed by the community to help kids find shelters with available beds. There are many more possibilities that have yet to be explored. That’s why we need to keep the conversation going.

Youth are our future, but they’re also our present. We need to make these kids our priority now. If we don’t, where will they be in five, 10, 20 years? Where will our country be? Even if we all agree that ending LGBT youth homelessness needs to be a priority, how can we rise above the noise and make our message heard? Our voices are stronger when we say something together. Last year, #40toNoneDay reached more than 17 million people. How many more can we reach this year?

CYNDI LAUPER is a Tony-, Emmy-, and Grammy-winning writer, actor, and musician. She is also the cofounder of the True Colors Fund, which combats LGBT youth homelessness.