Cyndi Lauper launches project to reduce homelessness among LGBT youth

Karen Whiteley
WVoN co-editor 

Cyndi Lauper, the singer best known for telling us ‘girls just wanna have fun’, has turned her attention to an entirely more serious subject.

Lauper’s ‘Forty to None‘ project, launched this week, aims to help homeless LGBT youth and to raise awareness of the scale of the problem.

Estimates suggest that in the US, there are between 500,000 and 1.6 million homeless children between the ages of 12 and 17.

Further estimates suggest that a staggering 40% of them identify under the LGBT umbrella, despite the fact that LGBT youth make up only 3-5% of the national youth population.

It is thought that the high number of LGBT homeless is caused by factors such as abuse, neglect and rejection by families which are directly connected to the children’s sexuality or gender identity.

The project’s name reflects its aim to reduce that 40% figure to zero.

Talking about the project, Lauper said:

‘There’s no shortage of organizations focused on ending homelessness or addressing the needs of homeless youth—but everything we’ve learned over the past year has made it clear that runaway and homeless gay and transgender youth are being left behind.

‘There’s a void that needs to be filled. There are kids who are struggling and need real help, and my mission is to get them that help. That’s why we started the Forty to None Project. Because I give a damn, and society should, too.’

The project consists of a five-year plan which will work to drive down the number of gay and transgender youth on the streets through campaigns that will:

- raise awareness about the young people affected

- advocate at the state and federal levels

- strengthen the network of services working on the issue

- train service providers to be more inclusive and understanding of the specific issues these children face

- empower homeless gay and transgender youth through resources and information.