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USA Today
3 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
LGBTQ+ youth are twice as likely to be homeless. We need to talk about it.
The No. 7 train was the warmest place for Iden Campbell McCollum to sleep. He took the subway to his job at Burger King, and spent many nights looping its route to Flushing, curled up over heaters that provided a brief respite from New York City's winters. At the time, he was a recent high school graduate who had aged out of foster care and found himself homeless and battling severe depression. His struggle was exacerbated by confusion about his gender identity. He didn't know any transgender people or have the language to describe what he was experiencing, but he knew he was different, and that his parents wouldn't accept him. 'I really didn't have any family, mostly because they assumed that I was a lesbian,' Campbell McCollum, now 57, says. 'I didn't have anybody to talk to about it because I had never seen another person like me.' It's been several decades since McCollum's experience living on the streets of New York City, yet for many LGBTQ+ young people, his story may sound eerily familiar. Today's LGBTQ+ youth continue to face similar challenges, including disproportionate risk of homelessness, research shows, most often because of family rejection due to their identities. Though they make up 7% of the youth population, LGBTQ+ young people account for 40% of youth experiencing homelessness in the United States. Advocates who grew up grappling with these same challenges say stigma against homeless youth still runs rampant, and the issue urgently needs more visibility. 'Something very broken': Most homeless LGBTQ youths were driven to the streets by family rejection LGBTQ+ young people face more than twice the risk of being homeless Dr. Colette Auerswald, a professor of public health at the University of California, Berkeley, says young people experience homelessness for systemic reasons, such as being impacted by juvenile justice systems, poverty and familial substance use. LGBTQ+ youth are more than twice as likely to experience homelessness as their peers, according to research from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. 'Reasons why young people are homeless are beyond their control, and people have to understand that,' Auerswald says. For Marcelle Labrecque, leaving home at 18 didn't feel like a choice. In Labrecque's conservative hometown, 'being a person of color and displaying any sort of queer tendencies,' it was socially implied that you 'weren't welcome.' 'My parents gave me an ultimatum of 'go and get help for it, or leave,'' Labrecque, who uses the pronouns they/them, says. They bought a bus ticket to New York with a refund check from their school textbooks. 'It was a need to survive,' Labrecque added. Homelessness research specific to youth is vital, according to Auerswald. While figures like the Point-in-Time Count and Housing Inventory Count provide insight, Auerswald warns they're not a conclusive measure, as they were created primarily to count single homeless adults. Mental health gaps contribute to LGBTQ+ homelessness For Campbell McCollum, depression and suicidal ideation have been a lifelong struggle. 'I was depressed because I didn't have the words to utilize, 'Mommy, I think I'm a boy.' I couldn't verbalize that to her,' McCollum says. 'My depression started at a very young age, and it wasn't wasn't just a gender thing, it was environmental because there was abuse.' LGBTQ+ young people are less likely to access mental health care than their peers, citing affordability and not wanting to obtain permission from a parent. Nearly half of transgender boys and men express worry that accessing care would result in someone calling the police or being involuntarily hospitalized, according to The Trevor Project's 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People. One night, a police officer saw McCollum nodding off in the corner of the train. She gave him $20 and the address for a New York location of Covenant House, a shelter for adults ages 16 to 24. Once there, he had the opportunity to explore his identity in a safe space for the first time. Covenant House helped him secure a part-time job and put him back in touch with his parents, and he eventually saved enough to move to North Carolina, where he reconnected with his mother. Black transgender and nonbinary young people, who report the highest indicators of poor mental health, face the highest risk of youth homelessness. The Trevor Project's Director of Research Science, Derrick Matthews, called it a 'two-fold problem' where vulnerable groups are more likely to experience homelessness, and where the effects of homelessness tend to be exacerbated. Before moving to New York, Labrecque had only met three other Black people. During their time in the city, they were introduced to Black and queer spaces while working in Hell's Kitchen. They worked on Season 2 of the popular FX TV show 'Pose,' which they credited with opening their eyes 'to the range of the existence of queer people.' 'We were having very raw, very real, and very intense discussions that if we were in a predominantly White space, we might not feel comfortable sharing,' Labrecque says. Study: LGBTQ youth, family relocate amid increasing anxiety over laws directed at them LGBTQ+ youth navigate Trump administration's cuts to specialized care LGBTQ+ advocates say concerns for queer homeless youth are heightened amid funding cuts for LGBTQ+ care under the Trump administration. On June 17, the administration instructed the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to end its specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth within the next month. Nearly 1.3 million LGBTQ+ people sought support from the hotline via call, text, or online chat since its launch in 2022. The Trevor Project, which takes 50% of hotline volume, says the move is 'devastating.' The Supreme Court also upheld Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the court 'abandons transgender children and their families to political whims.' 'The fact that we're taking away services that could be protective means that, for sure, more young people will suffer harm and death,' Auerswald says. What's the answer? Now 29, Labrecque is a full-time performer and theater consultant. Services they accessed at Covenant House – learning how to fill out scholarship forms, purchasing dance shoes and getting the legal support to change their name to feel more affirmed in their identity – were instrumental in continuing their musical theatre education and training from the Borough of Manhattan Community College. 'I'm only here today because of resources and because I took full advantage of every single program, every single opportunity,' Labrecque says. Public health experts say access to those services during homelessness is vital to stopping the pipeline into adult homelessness. Roughly half of the people over 55 who experience homelessness first experienced homelessness as minors or young adults, according to Auerswald. Auerswald cautions that homelessness and unstable housing have no one look. It could mean sleeping in a car, couch surfing for extended periods of time, or relying on shelters. 'They want the same things that young other people want,' Auerswald says of these young people, adding they're grappling with homelessness while seeking education, stable relationships and the opportunity to establish a professional identity. 'If you're doing that and you have no place to live, that's really hard.''They're resilient, and I think people really have to appreciate that,' she added. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call, text, or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
New York Post
06-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
New Yorkers are getting second and third facelifts in quest for eternal youth: ‘Life expectancy is going up … I don't know if we can say four is too many'
They're repeat customers. More and more New Yorkers are opting for follow-up facelifts to maintain a youthful appearance several years after first going under the knife. 'I am seeing a lot of patients in their late 50s and early 60s coming in for second facelifts,' Upper East Side facial plastic surgeon Dr. Sean Alemi told The Post. 'I would say this is up 30% since a year ago.'' Advertisement 5 Paul Labrecque, 64, is scheduled to have his second facelift this summer. Olga Ginzburg for NY Post Famed New York hairdresser Paul Labrecque, 64, is scheduled for the procedure in August. He had a neck and lower facelift 13 years ago, at age 51, and was extremely happy with the results. But gravity has taken its toll and, after not recognizing himself in photographs from a charity event, he made an appointment with facial plastic surgeon Dr. Edward Davidson in Palm Beach, where he also has a salon. Advertisement 'I am in a young person's profession and I want to look current and not tired,' Labrecque told The Post, adding. 'Some of my clients are now doing three [facelifts], but I think by the time I'm in my '70s, I won't worry about it.' One major driver of the trend is the fact that people are increasingly getting facelifts at younger ages than before, and, a decade or so later, wanting to keep up the youthful look. The popularity of Ozempic and similar medications is also a factor, as the dramatic weight loss they bring about can lead to loose skin and a face that appears deflated. Also, the surgeries themselves have gotten better. 'I see more people coming in at 40 to 45 for primary lifts, rather than at 50 to 55, and those that already had them done are no longer waiting 15 or 20 years [to get another], because they are aware of newer techniques, and they want to jump on them,'' noted Dr. Robert Schwarcz, an Upper East Side oculoplastic surgeon. 5 Labrecque has his first facelift 13 years ago and was thrilled with the results (pictured). Courtesy of Paula Labrecque Advertisement Dr. Babak Azizzadeh, a Beverly Hills facial plastic surgeon with many New York patients, said his second-facelift patients aren't expecting to appear as they did the first time around. 'They don't want to look like they are in their 20s; just healthy and good,'' he observed. 'They want to look like they are in their 30s or 40s into their 60s and 70s.'' Linda Simmons, a 78-year old attorney, recently came to him for a refresher — 17 years after having him do her initial facelift. 'I was thrilled the first time around and I decided, like with a computer system, it was time for an upgrade,' she said. 'This is is part of self care.'' Recovery was easy, thanks to innovations like hyperbaric oxygen therapy before and after to increase the rate of healing, as well as smart laser on her face and neck. Advertisement 5 Linda Simons had her first facelift 17 years ago, when she was in her early 60s. Here she is before and after the procedure. Courtesy of Dr. Babak Azizzadeh 'I had no pain, and within six or seven days, the bruising was resolving,'' she said. She's so happy, she's not ruling out coming back for a third. 'I would do it again in a minute and I will do it when I am ready,' she told The Post. 'I am just so pleased with how it restored me and my confidence. '' Denise T., 61, has been also thrilled with her second facelift and can see having a third down the line. The Palm Beach resident had her first facelift at age 42 with Park Avenue plastic surgeon Dr. Sherell Aston and a second lift with Aston at age 54. 'I actually look better now than when I started in my 40s, because he strengthened my jawline and gave my face more symmetry,' said Denise, who works in advertising. 'I hope I live long enough to get a third with him.'' Aston said Denise would hardly be an outlier if she opted for a third. Advertisement 5 Simmons recently had her second facelift. Here she is before and after that procedure. Courtesy of Dr. Babak Azizzadeh 'I now have a significant number of patients who I have done three facelifts on,'' the doctor said. 'Today people are skiing and golfing into their seventies and they want to look as good as they feel. Surgery can also be done more safely; we use the same anesthesia as they do for a colonoscopy.'' The second or third time around can be less frightening, because patients know the ropes. Paula D., 70, who lives in Great Neck and works in real estate, just had a second facelift with Dr. Lyle Leipziger, Chief of Plastic Surgery at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center — 13 years after he did her first. 'I knew the process, and everything has gotten better,'' she said. 'I didn't have any pain and only used Tylenol. I am five weeks out and everyone is telling me how great I look.'' Advertisement Azizzadeh notes that repeat facelifts are slightly more complicated, and some doctors may charge more than they would for an initial. (The general cost of facelifts varies widely, with prices ranging from $25,000 to $150,000.) 5 Dr. Babak Azizzadeh, a Beverly Hills facial plastic surgeon with many New York patients, performed both of Simmons' facelifts. Courtesy of Dr. Babak Azizzadeh 'It's no longer virgin anatomy, so the surgeon needs to have a high level of anatomic and facial nerve expertise,'' Azizzadeh said. Advertisement Alemi said he could see some people going beyond a third facelift. 'Life expectancy is going up,' he said. 'I don't see a lot of people seeking a fourth one yet, but I don't know if we can say four is too many.''
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
EastCare celebrates 40th anniversary, looks to help more people in Eastern NC
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — ECU Health is celebrating a major milestone as the EastCare program marks its 40th anniversary of providing critical care services in Eastern North Carolina. EastCare has come a long way since its inception in 1985. 'We started off as a single helicopter program, and we have developed into eight different bases,' said EastCare Program Director Trey Labrecque. 'We have five primary helicopters, with two of those serving as backups, which brings us to a total of seven helicopters and 28 ambulances in our fleet.' This milestone is a significant achievement for both EastCare and ECU Health as a whole, and the organization plans to continue growing to better serve the people of Eastern North Carolina.'More ambulances, potentially more aircraft, as more people move to Eastern North Carolina,' Labrecque added. ECU Health is excited to continue expanding the EastCare program and remain committed to serving communities across the eastern part of the state. Click the video above for more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
