Larkin Street Youth Services

Before moving to San Francisco, Angel was scared to express who he really was. As a young gay man, he didn’t feel proud of himself or deserving of acceptance. These feelings became hard to manage, and he turned to substance use to cope. 

The turning point for Angel was finding a community within Larkin Street at Castro Youth Housing Initiative. Through this community, he found the confidence to seek employment, further his education, and work on his mental health. He began to realize he has great things to offer the world.

Now Angel celebrates Pride Month each year by doing drag shows that raise funds to support the LGBTQ+ community. This year, he’s also looking forward to attending and participating in virtual fundraising events.

To put Angel’s experience in context, youth of color and LGBTQ+ youth often experience a toxic combination of stigma, family rejection and racism, resulting in significant over-representation in the overall youth homelessness population. They are also at higher risk for COVID-19 infection, with corresponding unemployment and inability to stay with family, factors that further drive homelessness. Systemic racism, homophobia, and transphobia mean thousands of young people like Angel will continue the struggle to survive and thrive.

At Larkin Street, we're centering young people's voices like Angel’s and addressing underlying structures that prevent them from reaching their potential.

“The LGBTQ+ community has helped me celebrate the creative, fun, and loving person that I am, so giving back is very important to me."- Angel

LEVEL UP with Angel and help end youth homelessness for youth of color and LGBTQ+ youth.