Surviving the Streets of New York. Experiences of LGBTQ Youth, YMSM, and YWSW Engaged in Survival Sex

Abstract

In 2011, researchers from the Urban Institute launched a three-year study of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) youth; young men who have sex with men (YMSM); and young women who have sex with women (YWSW) engaged in survival sex in New York City. Working in partnership with the New York City–based organization Streetwise and Safe (SAS), researchers trained youth leaders to conduct in-depth interviews with a total of 283 youths who engaged in survival sex in New York City and identified themselves as LGBTQ, YMSM, or YWSW. During these interviews, youth were asked a wide range of questions about their backgrounds and experiences. The information they shared paints a vivid picture of how they survive in the face of adversity, often dealing with issues rooted in poverty, homophobia, transphobia, racism, child abuse, and criminalization.