Stevie Boebi is one of my favorite lesbian YouTubers. She’s honest and real, while also keeping you engaged—even with hard topics. In one of her most recent videos, she opens up about her experience with homelessness as a teen. She was homeless from the age of 16 to 22 and learned a lot during that time of her life. While she recognizes her privilege as a white and able-bodied person, and that these ‘how to survive’ tactics might not work the same for everyone, they’re tips that she wished her younger self had known at the time.
Though there isn’t a lot of data out there, it’s estimated that queer and trans youth make up 20 to 40 percent of the homeless teen population. That’s a lot considering only 5 to 10 percent of the overall teen population in the US is homeless. A lot of queer YouTubers tend to stray away from more difficult conversations and stick to the fun stuff like girlfriend tags and cute fashion vlogs. But the reality is that the majority of their viewers are LGBTQ teens who are dealing with real life issues. Like abusive relationships, having sex, and possibly even homelessness.
Among Stevie’s advice for how to survive she tells viewers things like learn how to fake school documents, have something close by that looks innocent but can be used as a weapon and you don’t owe anyone sex in return for their favors. The advice she provides is important for survival while also being non-judgmental and accessible. If you are homeless and in need of resources, see the links below the video as well.
National Runaway HotLine: 1-800-786-2929
If you need help, click these links:
http://www.aliforneycenter.org
http://www.thetrevorproject.org/pages…
