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Gay news: Singer will donate money through her True Colors Fund
By: John Howard
Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper to establish shelter for LGBT youth in NYC
Pop star Cyndi Lauper is helping in the establishment of Manhattan's first permanent housing for homeless LGBT youth.
The True Colors Residence, in Harlem, will take in young people aged between 18 and 24 who have been disowned by their families because of their sexuality.
Best known for her 80s hits Girls Just Want to Have Fun and True Colors, Lauper will donate money for the residence through her True Colors Fund, which is dedicated to the advancement of LGBT equality.
The facility, set to open in winter 2011, will contain 30 studio apartments, a library, a computer room and communal space, with residents paying rent according to their income.
"Kids are coming out in greater numbers as they see themselves accepted and represented on TV and in movies, but they're still being kicked out of their homes or running away and living on the streets," Lauper said in a statement.
"We need to make sure we're taking care of them. This is the next generation of the LGBT community."
According to estimates from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, there are between 3,000 and 8,000 homeless LGBT youth in New York City, comprising up to 40% of the total of homeless youth there.
