Paterson is, yet again, lagging behind as the LGBTQ movement gains momentum.
The Supreme Court ruling on June 26, 2015 gave same sex couples the right to marry in all states; however, can an area such as Paterson that maintains high violent crime and murder rates work towards being able to focus on protecting the vulnerable gay youth within their city.
According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, “seven different studies of homeless youth in the U.S. have concluded that approximately 20% of homeless youth are LGBTQ.” The alliance mentioned that this is disproportionately high being that this youth sub-population only comprises about 10% of youth in the general population.
Regardless to this statistic, Paterson, overall, has a high violence rate. Paterson’s violent crime rate is 1,047/100,000 people and a murder rate of 12/100,000 people. The LGBTQ community, which is at higher risk for bias, abuse, and violence, should be seen as a vulnerable population within this city.
According to Law Street Media, Paterson ranked number 7 in a 2015 data analysis of the top ten most dangerous cities in the United States.
With this in mind, the most vulnerable populations in the city are the homeless and underprivileged populations. Homeless populations are more likely to be victims for a variety of crimes and types of assault. Gay youth are also much more likely to be victims of these crimes.
Many organizations in Paterson have difficulty getting clients, especially men who have sex with men, to come in for these services. There is such a serious stigma about gay men that it takes more than a little ingenuity and empathy to encourage them to continually get correct information and protect themselves from disease.
In comparison to their heterosexual counterparts, gay men ages 18 to 24 have the highest rate of new HIV infections.
Paterson is an area that has been stigmatized as a haven for drug users and violence. Over the years, the city has shrunk as areas of this once larger city has been defected into smaller cities. One may say surrounding cities have made aggressive attempts to distinguish themselves from the central city of Paterson. Problems are ignored or blamed on the Paterson area. Services for vulnerable sub-populations are more prevalent here while problems within the surrounding cities are disregarded or ignored.
One of these sub-populations is the LGBTQ youth. Due to limited funding and underlining stigma in the Paterson area, there are few services specifically for this community. This is illuminated by non-acceptance and the overt bias towards these individuals. Can this be proven? Perhaps, if more time, data, and money was put towards these individuals health and social needs. Sadly, little effort is put to alleviate this mentality. It is seen as acceptable.
So, when does this become unacceptable? Unfortunately, it has not been enough for large numbers of this population being reported as homeless within this city. The even more disheartening truth is that this phenomenon is common among LGBTQ youth. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, “seven different studies of homeless youth in the U.S. have concluded that approximately 20% of homeless youth are LGBTQ.” The alliance mentioned that this is disproportionately high being that this youth sub-population only comprises about 10% of youth in the general population. They also stated that on average they experience 7.4 more acts of sexual violence toward them than their heterosexual peers and more likely to commit suicide than their heterosexual peers.
So what does this mean for the community as a whole? When a population neglects its youth, it does not take into account what will happen to the adult population. The youth, whether gay or straight, need a sense of security in order to want to be a part of society. Rejecting or neglecting the younger population is the same as throwing away untapped potential. This city is looking to reform, grow, and heal from its past and present circumstances. A wise move to do this is to show that the city as a whole protects and fosters the growth of the youth in order to encourage them to invest back into the city. When a community of people take care of you and foster your growth, they in turn give you a home. When you have a home that loves you and you reciprocate that love, you are more motivated to care about it and make sure it thrives and remains your home. Here’s one final question for the Paterson community: who truly wants to call a city home that does not acknowledge the abuse and neglect toward its citizens?
Blog by: Jarrod Dillard- Steering Committee member-CAPCO
