Though a turning point for LGBTQ rights, the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015 did not reverse disproportionate discrimination against gay and trans populations, but rather, generated an exaggerated sense of accomplishment on the issue. A liberal and often-considered "safe city," Boston's youth homeless population consists largely of LGBTQ teenagers and young adults. In order to expose these misconceptions of youth homelessness, LGBTQ homelessness, and the overall realities of housing insecurity, Mike DeSocio, COM '17, published a photojournalism piece on the topic for his Kilachand Honors College Senior Keystone Project at BU.
His story traces the path of Liniste, a trans youth in Boston who has had her share of encounters with both shelters and advocacy groups. We sat down with Mike to understand the power behind photojournalism, how his project changed as he worked with Liniste, and about the issue of LGBTQ youth homelessness overall. Listen in for what he wants us all to take away about LGBTQ youth homelessness - and Boston's specific interactions with the problem.
You can view his article and project here.
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