Christmas is a bittersweet time for me. Ali Forney was murdered on the streets of New York City in December of 1997. He was the seventh homeless LGBT kid I knew who had been killed on the streets between 1994 and 1997. In those days there was no shelter for LGBT kids in New York City. The only youth...

At the Ali Forney Center we work hard to provide a holiday season of joy for the homeless LGBT youth who come to us for help. Many of our kids find this season challenging; it's getting colder outside, and they really feel the pain of being rejected by their families during a time that so emphasizes...