Up to 40% of homeless people in the United States are LGBT youth and that statistic doesn’t even include LGBT adults.The timing couldn’t have been better. There is nothing in there about sexuality or gender which is concerning considering other Western societies have an LGBT homelessness problem. CAB headquarters is currently putting together a policy document on emergency housing including a race breakdown, age breakdown, male-female gender breakdown, and location breakdown of clients coming into CAB requesting help with finding emergency housing. However, New Zealand is not without its LGBT social issues.Įven CAB does not ask sexuality or gender identity of clients who come into their bureaux seeking advice. The above human rights legislation in favor of LGBT New Zealanders definitely suggests the NZ government’s intentions to support its LGBT citizens.
On the other hand, Auckland’s Pride Parade was a truly feisty, charming cultural event.Īt times, I felt like I was back in small town America where that grassroots community aura can still be felt at local Pride events each June. The NYC Pride Parade used to have so much more angst behind its message and charm behind its cardboard painted signage. Today, the parade is a joke considering it started as a protest spurring from the Stonewall Riots of 1969-when mostly transgender women fought back against police who kept raiding village bars and clubs. Why? The Parade had gotten too commercialized and corporatized for me. I eventually stopped attending NYC’s main Pride Parade opting instead for the smaller borough events or the annual Dyke march. In comparison to New York City, the Auckland Pride parade was like visiting a small-town Pride event or going back in time to NYC’s parade origins. I have been to a lot of Pride parades-mostly all over New York State including small towns for the last 10 years and New York City’s Pride events for the last 6 or so years.