I hear that recently Covenant House Houston chose to room a trans kid. While this is a step in the right directions, I’m still encountering problems with them almost daily.
Every day we have kids who come to shower, do their clothes, get something to eat, etc who complain about Covenant House Houston prejudicial treatment of GLBT kids. Now, either ALL of these kids are telling the same lie or CH has yet to change policy and kids are still encountering staff abuse… even after they accepted $20,000.00 from Lady Gaga for their touted GLBT homeless services.
I just got done listening to the frustrations of a very shy gender queer gay youth who is currently at Covenant House Houston. He is being barred from talking to a counselor or case manager, staff have openly mocked and laughed at him for his shy, quiet and withdrawn behavior. I’m supposing that it never crossed the mind of Covenant House staff that the reason he’s so withdrawn might have something to do with the extreme violence he’s endured at the hands of his step-day for not being butch enough. When he asked a friendly staff member to help, the staff member said that there wasn’t anything he could do.
It’s my understanding that Covenant House Houston is now closed to meeting with the community because they felt as if they were unfairly targeted by people like me who. With each new story I hear, I become more angry with what seems to be an obtuse and hubris response on the part of Covenant House Houston. At this point, I’m considering opening a youtube channel dedicated to recording the Covenant House Houston stories of these kids.
All we’ve asked is that they put policy in place so that equality can be expected and that staff have some training. Have they done any of that yet? No. Are they willing to talk about it? No.
I’ve contacted Jolanda Jones’ office about this ongoing problem because she’s had our back every step of the way!
Covenant House’s Broken promises: CM Jones Fights Transphobia
http://www.tgctr.org/2010/08/27/council-member-jolanda-jones-takes-on-covenant-house/
A Trans Youth Covenant House Shelter Refugee
http://www.tgctr.org/2010/07/14/a-trans-youth-covenant-house-shelter-refugee/
Child Shelter to Change Long-Standing Anti-TG Policy?
http://www.tgctr.org/2010/06/14/child-shelter-to-change-long-standing-anti-tg-policy/
