According to Ozone House, an Ypsilanti-based nonprofit that provides shelter and support services to homeless and housing insecure youth, one in four young people who contact their 24-hour hotline identifies as LGBTQ+. Roughly half of all the LGBTQ+ youth that Ozone House works with has experienced a degree of family rejection, and 80% of those that do are kicked out by their parents or guardians. The 20% who are not kicked out often run away due to poor treatment. This puts them at high risk for homelessness, substance abuse, criminal activity and the youth are 8.5 times more likely to commit suicide than those who are accepted by their families.
The Ozone House will hold its annual Home Sweet Home fundraising event on Tuesday, February 12th at 6:30pm at Zingerman’s Grayline. Tickets are $75. Inclusion Supporter tickets are $150, and also sponsor an LGBTQ person to attend the event. All proceeds will go to Ozone House’s Kicked Out fund for LGBTQ youth services.