By Cornelius A. Fortune
DETROIT –
For Redd, the Ruth Ellis Center was a rainbow in a window beckoning, and his life hasn't been the same since. Redd's family wouldn't accept her as a boy, it was a difficult coming out. "They wouldn't really say anything, it was just their attitude," he said. "They would prefer not to have me around so they won't have to say nothing. (The Ruth Ellis Center) is something I can do that I can't do with family."
His friend Shawn (also transgendered) had a similar experience. The Ruth Ellis Center provided the surrogate family neither of them have. "I don't really have a relationship with them," Shawn said of his family. "I talk to her (his mother) every now and then, but that's it. (Ruth Ellis) makes me feel like I belong somewhere and I fit in. And when I go there, they feed us, stuff like that I wish I could do with my family."
Such a scenario isn't uncommon to LGBT youth in Detroit and throughout the country. They're cast out by their families, discarded, someone else's problem. Redd is 20, Shawn is 18, and the system hasn't worked for them.
The Ruth Ellis Center, located at 77 Victor, in Highland Park, is designed to step in where the system fails homeless LGBT youth. A 5000 square foot building that sits on a mostly quiet street, where industrial buildings squat, and litter blows down the street, chased by other pieces of litter, the center is unassuming, but there's great work being done on the inside.
There is a dance floor upstairs for recreation. A selection of used clothes, some of dressier quality in case a youth has an interview. There's dust and wires everywhere. Empty soda bottles from where the contractors have been working.
By the time this goes to press, the new center will be open and ready for the next influx of LGBT teens either looking for a place to hang out, or a warm place to lay their heads – shelter from the cruel world that paints them as outcasts.
The Ruth Ellis Center, named for African American activist Ruth Ellis, who was known to provide shelter, physical support and spiritual affirmation to those whose race, orientation or both set them apart from the rest of society. She lived to the age of 101 and never stopped working to help those in her community.
The mission of the Ruth Ellis Center is to follow her model of responsibility to self and community for LGBT teens and young adults. Some of the programs they offer are: shelter; individual assessments and intake; basic life skills and counseling; interpersonal skill building; educational advancement; job preparation and attainment; mental health care; physical health care; youth development approach; and aftercare planning and follow-up.
The Transitional Living program houses youth ages 18-21, in an effort to get them to be completely independent. The shelter program is for ages 12-17.
According to a report released by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) and the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH), called "An Epidemic of Homelessness" LGBT youth make up 20 to 40 percent of the 575,000 to 1.6 million homeless youth in the nation. The report also notes that 26 percent of gay teens are kicked out of their homes when they come out to their parents.
Grace McClelland, executive director, has seen a lot since joining the center in June of 2003. The challenges are great, she admitted, but commitment to LGBT youth is paramount.
"Most people can understand and empathize with homeless youth in general. But when you start talking about the LGBT population a lot of folks seem to turn a deaf ear," said McClelland. "What I didn't expect in my job was the amount of time spent fund raising and advocacy and activism in the community, because a lot of people try to throw stumbling blocks in your way when you have gay, lesbian, (and) transgendered right in your mission statement."
Suicide rates are up for LGBT youth, she said. "LGBT runaway homeless youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their counterparts. Thirty percent of the adolescent completed suicides are by our kids."
The truth is, there are only a handful of drop-in centers equipped
specifically to help LGBT youth. "There are only four youth social centers in the country specifically working with LGBT kids," said McClelland. "We need two or three in Detroit. One is in L.A.; two are in New York City."
Support is hard found from the city itself. "We get no financial help from the city of Detroit. The mayor hasn't been open to conversations with Ruth Ellis Center. We keep trying."
Despite the obstacles and lack of support the organization has managed to go from being a $300,000 agency with two programs, a basic drop-in center program, and a transitional living program, to a $1,111,000 program.
In 2006 they had 14,880 significant contacts at the drop-in center, which makes them the largest drop-in center in the country for young people in the country.
"It's been a huge growth," said McClelland.
Much of the problem rests with the families of LGBT youth and the need for advocacy in Washington.
"Our young people for the most part are on the street because they are gay, and until society becomes more accepting and more tolerant of gay and lesbian people, there needs to be a cultural shift, we need more tolerance," she said. "Some of the major things that need to happen is there needs to be policy out of Washington – federal legislation that protect LGBT people. We need advocates in Washington, D.C. But the root of the problem rests with families."
There's a strong need for the community to become more active in helping LGBT youth in the city, she said. "The community doesn't take care of our youth who are coming out in droves, and not taking care of them. We're doing them a disservice (by telling them to 'Come Out') by asking them to do it. The general public needs to step up. This work is extremely personal. We have to get to a point where we shouldn't have to be talking about this, people need to step up."
Russell Mitchell, 26, is a residential counselor at Ruth Ellis. A position he's held for three years. He loves the center's push for helping LGBT youth. There's a fun aspect, a new extended family that he helps oversee.
"There's so much you can do. It's always fun. You get frustrated like any public service, (but) it's fun and exciting," said Mitchell. "I love the city and I have hope in the city. I can survive; I can eat here; I'm a theater major, everything that I want to do I can do right here. I love working here."
He loves the holidays best – it conjures fine memories. "I think during the holidays we can come together with our surrogate families. This is like my family," he said. "That's why I like this organization in the end, I think it helps us to provide better service to the youth. It's unique."
Lynn Nee, executive director of Michigan Network for Youth and Families, based in Lansing, agrees that the Ruth Ellis Center provides a service needed in Michigan. "Ruth Ellis is a standout in the country for their focus," said Nee.
"I think that the work that Grace is doing is standout. We're really lucky to have that resource in the state."
The Michigan Network for Youth and Families works with Ruth Ellis to ensure that the state is doing everything it can to help, including a series of trainings around the state to raise the capacity level of the providers, in an effort to keep LGBT youth safe. "It's important for them (teens) to be able to transition into adulthood and society," she said. "I'm really proud of the Ruth Ellis, when it comes to being open; we're really lucky that we have a progressive group of people. We've got some really phenomenal kids."
Without Ruth Ellis, Shawn quite frankly doesn't know where'd he be right now. "I probably would be locked up," he said. "Ain't nothing else out in this world, ain't nothing else to look forward to. They do a lot for us."
