Judge Rules Homeless LGBT Youth Can Keep Living in Sewers



A Kingston, Jamaica judge ruled this week homeless young people, many of which have been kicked out of their homes for being LGBT, can continue to stay in sewers in the city--places they had to move to after they were forced to leave abandoned buildings where they previously lived.

Believe or not, this is progress. Last week, Kingston police tried to chase the youth out of gullies where they set up makeshift beds and rooms, but several of the resisted, swearing at the officers and saying there was no other place for them to go. Dwayne's House, an organization that provides much-needed support for the country's LGBT youth, reportedly paid fines for those found guilty by a judge for swearing.

Dwayne's House, named after a slain transgender teen, also reports that many young LGBT people in Jamiaca are beaten, harassed, or killed, while those who manage to survive do so by turning to sex work. Watch a video from activist/attorney Maurice Thompson that explores first-hand the sewers many youth call home below.

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