The Rolling Stone Blog

Cyndi Lauper Opens Shelter for Homeless LGBT Youth

By | The Rolling Stone Blog – Thu, Aug 25, 2011 12:22 PM EDT

Cyndi Lauper is set to open a 30-bed housing facility for homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered youth in Manhattan on September 1st. The True Colors Residence, named after her 1986 hit "True Colors," will be located on West 154th St. near Frederick Douglass Blvd. in Harlem. The residence, the first permanent housing facility of its kind in the city, was conceived by the singer, her manager and the West End Intergenerational Residence, a non-profit focused on providing housing for homeless families and the elderly.

Lauper, a longtime supporter for LGBT rights, was moved to pursue this project because up to 40 percent of homeless youth in the city identify as LGBT. "These young people often face discrimination and at times physical assault in some of the very places they have to go for help," she wrote in a letter seeking donations for the residence. "This is shocking and inexcusable!"

Photos: Random Notes
The True Colors Residence is a new energy-efficient building with 30 studio apartments for youths aged 18 to 24, complete with indoor and outdoor community space. Residents will pay rent based on their income and will receive help with job placement.

 

Photo by Steve Thorne/Redferns

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