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| Operation Shine Seattle begins
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by Shaun Knittel -
SGN Staff Writer
Early on the morning of May 26, Chloe Noble, Nicole Tomlin, Jill Hardman and Matt Rouse set out across America from downtown Seattle to raise awareness about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) homeless youth. The four walkers chose Seattle as their starting point and the location of their first Shine - a grassroots, old-fashioned rally where homeless youth and their supporters meet.
"This is my first time in Seattle," Noble told SGN. "It is beautiful and everyone has been so nice."
The Seattle Shine began May 23 at Westlake Park, where Noble and other supporters formed up, eventually marching to Victor Steinbrueck Park. From 7-8 p.m., guest speakers from YouthCare, Seattle Office for Civil Rights, Social Justice Movement Advocates, and homeless youth spoke about issues facing the LGBT homeless youth demographic.
Noble gives Seattle high accolades when it comes to caring for LGBT homeless youth. "Seattle is a prime example of a city that deals with youth in a positive manner. There are drop-in centers and they are doing well sustaining these kids," Noble told SGN at the Shine last Saturday. "With enough funding and support, Seattle could be a city that ends their homeless youth problem."
According to Noble, as many as 1.3 million homeless youth sleep outdoors at night, and over 400,000 of those youth are LGBT.
Tomlin, who is walking across America with Noble, said LGBT homeless youth form communities after they find each other in the different cities they pass through.
"It's a human characteristic to want to fit in and be accepted," said Tomlin. "For these kids, they've found acceptance in the streets. We've found that they [LGBT homeless youth] evolve into a subculture that many people don't know exists. If you've been hurt so bad by society, why rejoin it? They feel the new group they belong to is better."
Noble says that educating parents is the core cause. Most of these kids are on the street because they've been kicked out of their house because they were LGBT or they ran away because they suffered verbal and physical abuse due to their sexuality she added.
"The parents need to understand there is nothing wrong with their child and that with the right amount of nurturing and support they can thrive," said Noble.
With the Seattle Shine behind them, the four set out Tuesday morning for Pride Walk 2009, where the four activists will be on foot six to nine hours a day, or 15 to 20 miles completed with 50lb. backpacks. They estimate Pride Walk 2009 to take six to nine months to complete. Their journey will take them to San Francisco, then east to Boston, Mass. New York, and then Washington D.C. From there they will move southwest to New Orleans, La. and end their journey in Austin, Tex. To view video footage of Pride Walk 2009 and the different Shine events online, visit www.youtube.com/user/operationshine.
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