Alex Roque, President and Executive Director of the Ali Forney Center, joins “In Focus” with Cheryl Wills to discuss how the center provides shelter and healthcare services to LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness in New York City.

According to the center, 40% of NYC homeless youth are LGBTQ+ and 62% of them have attempted suicide.

Roque discusses who Forney was and how the center is remembering their legacy 20 years later. Forney was a black, gay, non-gender-conforming transgender forced to live on the streets at age 13.

Transgender individuals, in particular, after often impacted by violence and discrimination in ways that both contribute to their homelessness and keep them from accessing necessary shelter and services. Roque discusses that cycle and how the Ali Forney Center addresses it through specialized transgender housing and supportive services.

Roque also talks about why the center is calling for legislation that would allow youth under the age of 18 to consent to their healthcare and the events hosted year-round to support New York City’s trans and non-binary youth.