Although homelessness affects many people, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth make up a disproportionate segment of that population. While 1.7 million adolescents experience at least one episode of homelessness a year, between 20-to-40 percent of that population identify as LGBT.

In 2009, President Barack Obama declared June as LGBT Pride Month. The objective of this infographic, created in partnership with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Human Rights Campaign and the University of Southern California’s School of Social Work, is to highlight some of the unique challenges that lead to LGBT youth homelessness, in addition to some of the mental health problems that affect the population. While we still have a long way to go, several homelessness non-profits, federal agencies and LGBT advocacy organizations, such as the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the Human Rights Campaign, are working together to provide solutions to this tragedy.

Via Social Work License Map and MSW@USC