PAIR Center Day of Service: Covenant House

July 14, 2023

Excerpt

PAIR Honors LGBTQ Pride Month by Volunteering at Covenant House PA

LGBTQ Pride Month

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is celebrated in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. In 1969, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City staged an uprising to resist the police harassment and persecution to which LGBTQ Americans were commonly subjected. This uprising marks the beginning of a movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against LGBTQ Americans.

Over the years, federal and local policies and practices have increasingly acknowledged and focused specifically on LGBTQ youth and numerous national advocacy organizations have worked tirelessly to support and amplify the voices of LGBTQ youth. Notably, research has shown that those who identify as LGBTQ have a 120% higher risk of experiencing some form of homelessness. With up to 40% of the 4.2 million youth experiencing homelessness identifying as LGBTQ (compared to 9.5% of the U.S. population, LGBTQ youth disproportionately experience homelessness compared to their straight and cisgender peers.

Covenant House PA

Covenant House builds a bridge to hope for young people facing homelessness and survivors of trafficking through unconditional love, absolute respect, and relentless support. Their doors are open 24/7 and their high-quality programs are designed to empower young people to rise and overcome adversity.

To honor LGBTQ Pride Month, members of the PAIR Center volunteered at the Covenant House PA crisis center in Philadelphia, playing games, tie-dyeing t-shirts, and enjoying water ice with the youth residents.

Ten PAIR Center volunteers with Ms. Charmian Ramey of Covenant House, sitting and standing around a picnic table with tie-dyeing supplies. — Ms. Charmian Ramey of Covenant House (left) with PAIR Center volunteers.

Tie-dyed t-shirts, drying on a clothesline outside of Covenant House PA — In addition to playing Uno, teaching the game checkers, and serving water ice, PAIR Center volunteers assisted residents in dye colorful t-shirts.

References & Resources

https://www.loc.gov/lgbt-pride-month/about/
https://youth.gov/feature-article/june-lgbt-pride-month
https://youth.gov/youth-topics/lgbtq-youth/homelessness
https://glaad.org/
https://nn4youth.org/lgbtq-homeless-youth/