Running head: SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT 1
Signature Assignment: Proposal for a Specialized Group
Scott Anthony Hale
Western New Mexico University
SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT 2
Signature Assignment: Proposal for a Specialized Group
Gay black males struggle to cope with intersecting oppressions racism, homophobia and
sexism, and they carry a special stigma that some straight black males may find particularly
disturbing. The world already sees you as less than others so by being gay, you’re further hurting
the image of African-American men. This is a common reaction among the male relatives of the
black youth when they learned that their relative was gay.
Parents of African-American gay youth scapegoat their gay child by saying things like,
‘You have everything going against you as a black man, this is one more strike against you.
When a family members team up and use the gay child as the scapegoat it’s often a way for
families to hide problems that they cannot face and this could easily lead to African American
gay youth to become depressed, anxious, withdrawn and even, in the worst cases, suicidal per
Schwartz (2014).
Still, it’s hard to envision a more terrible and more destructive aspect of homophobia in
current times than the way that there are countless youths who are being rejected by their
families and put out onto our very streets. Gay black youths escaping their homes crowd into a
couple of communities like in New York, in hope of more access to resources. Since there is no
shelter many wind up sleeping outside in parks or even in shrubs. New York’s Christopher Street
Pier which has long been known as a place of great support and shelter for destitute and
homeless gay youths/adults is where these gay youths can be found. The Christopher St. Pier
offers a place of refuge for Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) youths
who gather there from all around New York and the tri-state region.
In recent years, “The Door” has opened offering to help these youths and offer up health,
legal, education, counseling and career services advice. “The Door” provides a wide range of
SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT 3
programs and services geared towards our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Questioning
(LGBTQ) to help all who come. In Kurutz’ article (2006), we learn that to pacify its residents
who felt that there was a lot of homeless gay youths around their homes and businesses just
hanging out, the police proximity around the pier was expanded. With up to eight patrolmen
watching the zone overnight from Thursdays to Sundays. And according, to Quinn (Kurutz
2006), helping the gay youth, staff individuals from a youth guided association called “The
Door” have started going by the pier from 11 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., informing the youths on such
issues as HIV testing. “The Door” has accepted $157,500 from the city to cover these programs
up through June.
This is all an attempt to make a climate of equal respect. The limit of how many youths
