Shepard, B. (2010). Review of Kicked Out edited by Sassafras Lowrey. 8 July.

!!essed 8 July 2010 fro"

# http://www.lambdaliterary.org/reviews/nonfiction/07/08/kicked-out-edited-by-
sassafras-lowrey/
Kicked Out ed by Sassafras Lowrey
L$B%L&'(RR).*R+,-'.*R,B(/0S.(1R%,# B(/ S.(1R% on JULY 8,
2010
2o"prised of first0ha3d a!!ou3ts of 4ueer people pushed out of their ho"es i3to the "ea3
streets of the -S to fe3d for the"selves, Kicked Out is a disti3!t, i"porta3t boo5. &t
!o"bi3es auto0eth3o6raphi! 3arratives of survivors with a!!ou3ts fro" so!ial wor5ers a3d
poli!y "a5ers who lay bare the 6aps i3 servi!es a3d !are, as well as the i33ovatio3 a3d
!reativity of this populatio3.
Si3!e the days before Sto3ewall, 4ueer youth have bee3 53ow3 to 6rab a o3e way ti!5et to
the !oasts to fi3d a 3ew life. 7or "a3y the !halle36e is 8ust to to survive. *3!e i3 Sa3
7ra3!is!o or /ew )or5, 1ortla3d or Bosto3, they !ope the best they !a3. &3 Ju3e 19:9, these
youth were a"o36 those who i3itiated the riots whi!h 5i!5ed off 6ay liberatio3. But 8ust as
!o""o3 are the 4ueer youth who fi3d the"selves i3 a te3uous pla!e i3 betwee3 foster !are
a3d viole3!e; the streets, with their !o3sta3t threat of physi!al assault. 'he a!!ou3ts of
reside3ts of Sylvia<s 1la!e, a shelter for 4ueer youth i3 /ew )or5 2ity 3a"ed after o3e the
vetera3s of the Sto3ewall uprisi36, offer a 6li"pse i3to su!h world. 'hey hi6hli6ht the ways
reside3ts "a5e do i3 a3 ofte3 u3frie3dly world.
'he wor5<s be3edi!tory approa!h is a breath of fresh air, as far too "a3y a!!ou3ts of this
populatio3 e"phasi=e the 6aps i3 !are, ho"ophobia i3 foster !are, a3d the la!5 of beds for
4ueer youth. >hile the essays i3 Kicked Outa!53owled6e these !halle36es, the wor5
e"phasi=es !opi36 a3d resilie3!y. 7or e?a"ple, @'he 2ir!us 1ro8e!t; +etti36 )outh off the
+rou3dA a3 essay by Je33 2ohe3, des!ribes a "odel of servi!e provisio3 whi!h re8e!ts
pater3alis" i3 favor of !ultivati36 i3dividual !reative e?pressio3.
Sta3dout essays i3!lude; @%u"pster %ivi36, +ay S5i3heads, Boredo" a3d Biole3!eA by
'e3=i3, as well as @$y /ew /u!lear 7a"ilyA by 1hiliop Reeves, @>ill (?!ha36e >isdo" for
Shelter, 7ood, a3d LoveA by $? $ira6e, a3d @the hayop CaD 2hro3i!lesA i3 whi!h 5ay ula3day
barrett e"phasi=es tra3sfor"ative power of stories, !o3fessi36 she, @lives ea!h day 6loriously
fueled by the words of 'i" Robbi3s, E&ts 3ever too late to have a happy !hildhood,<A (218).
'he reports by servi!e providers a3d a3alysts su""ari=e their wor5 i3 a 3arrative for"at.
@>hile the la!5 of federal a3d state dedi!ated fu3ds for !riti!al shelter, servi!es a3d housi36
for ho"eless youth "ust be addressed, the so!ial !risis of L+B' youth ho"eless3ess will 3ot
be solved by i3!reased fu3di36 alo3e,A ar6ues youth poli!y a3alyst Ri!hard .oods >ay"a3.
@Relatio3ships tra3sfor" people. 2ha36e happe3s whe3 !ari36 adults 6ive their ti"e to build
safe relatio3ships with ho"eless youth a3d offer a !ha3!e for youth to believe i3 the"selves
a3d lead lives with 6reater self deter"i3atio3.A
)et, as the essays, su!h as @Sa3!tuary i3 the tti!A by Stepha3ie $orris a3d @'he 1sy!hi!
2heese 6rater; >hat & Lear3ed i3 the StreetsA by 'e3=i3 su66est, 4ueer youth "ust pri"arily
rely o3 their ow3 3etwor5s for survival, 3ot servi!e providers. .ere, youth loo5 to ea!h other
for a pla!e to sleep, a little support, a "eal, or the @Ci3d3ess of Stra36ers, Ba"pires, a3d
36eli! 2ra!5 >horesA 'e3=i3 des!ribes. &t is the drea"s a3d stories, the i"a6i3atio3 whi!h
5eeps the" 6oi36. Kicked Out offers a useful servi!e i3 hi6hli6hti36 these perspe!tives.
KICKED OUT
(dited by Sassafras Lowrey
7orward by Judy Shepard
.)1(RL&/C #http;,,www.ho"ofa!tuspress.!o",boo5s,5i!5edFout,# Gt #Fbla35# .o"ofa!tus
1ress
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1aperba!5, K20, 22Lp
Lambda previously covered Sassaras Lo!rey and "Kicked Out# in its article .)1(RL&/C
#http;,,www.la"bdaliterary.or6,features,0:,1L,dis!arded0tee3s,# Gt #Fself# %is!arded 'ee3s.