An effort is under way to create Baltimore's first community center dedicated exclusively to the needs of gay youths.
If all goes well The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center will open this fall, the Baltimore Sun reported.
The center’s programs manager, Andrew Ansel, said there’s a big need for such a facility because the other youth centers in the city are not “gay-friendly.” Also, people are coming out of the closet at a younger age, Ansel said.
Gay teens also are more at risk for alienation, abuse and homelessness.
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Ansel told the story of a 16-year-old boy whose parents kicked him out of the house for being gay. He went to a homeless shelter for youths, only to be harassed.
The new center would offer tutoring, counseling, mentoring, HIV testing and other support.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
