I am 14 and I want to runaway from my homophobic family.

[Guest]

I am a 14 year old girl. My family is homophobic and only my father is aware of my sexuality. They all say really mean things about gay people and my father had called me a faggot for drinking iced coffee. They also both constantly tell me that I need to work on how I look. They also force their religion onto me and are trying to baptise me against my will. Both my parents favor my older brother who is on the varsity football team at our highschool. I am terrified that if I come out to my mother she will kick me out. I don't feel safe at home anymore. CPS can't take me away because my parents aren't technically abusing me. The only solution I can think of is running away. It would take me a day to reach the Arizona border and then I could start a new life. If I do get to Arizona, would I be able to get a fresh start, or would I be sent back home? Could I live in a homeless shelter? What else could I do? I have a history of depression, cutting, and I still struggle with social anxiety. Please help me, anywhere is better than home.

[ccsmod1]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. We are here 24/7 to listen and to support.

It sounds like you have been going through a lot for quite some time and are unsure of where to turn. We want you to know that you deserve to feel safe and cared for at home and loved for who you are. If you are feeling depressed and want to talk to someone about what you're going through, you can reach out to LGBT National Youth Talkline at 1-800-246-7743. They are there to listen and to support. We can also be reached at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) if you want help talking through your options.

We are not legal experts, but because you are a minor, if your parents file a runaway report then you could be returned home by the police. There could also be legal consequences for whomever you stay with for what is called harboring a minor and many shelters require parental consent to stay there. Do you have a counselor or other adult at school that you feel you can turn to get help with your situation? It can be difficult to have a conversation with your dad if he's often putting you down. Sometimes it can be helpful to have another adult around when you’re trying to talk to your dad or mom so that they can stand up for you and try to keep the conversation calm and fair. Here at NRS, we also offer a conference call service and can help you have that conversation with your mom. We can be reached at any time so just let us know if that is something that you would be interested in.

You also mentioned feeling depressed and having a history of cutting. We want you to know that your life is valuable and there are people that can help. Don't hesitate to reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 to talk to someone or To Write Love On Her Arms at twloha.com to connect with other youth that are going through similar things as you.

Stay safe,

NRS

[Guest]

I’m 13 and my parents are really homophobic, I don’t have much time on this phone so please reply ASAP. I live in Baldwin Park and I NEED to run away, is there any nearby runway shelters you can point out to me? Thank you...

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to NRS!

We are always here to listen and here to help in any way that we can. It can be very frustrating not knowing what to do or what your next step might be from this point on. It’s brave of you to reach out during your time of need. We have a database of resources and if you’re able to call in, we can try to brainstorm with you and get a better idea of your situation. If you are thinking about running away and somewhere to stay, we can try to find a runaway shelter for you. Unfortunately, we are non-directive at NRS, and can't give out advice, but we're always here to talk and listen.

Our safeline is open 24/7. We also have a chatting service via our website, unfortunately, it is not always open. The best way to contact us would be to call in and talk with our trained liners.

Be well, NRS

[Guest]

I'm 15 and my parents are very homophobic. I came out to both of them and my school. My school was really supportive but my parents were not having it. They took me out of my school, took my phone and took away any other connections to the outside world. They said I was going to hell, that it disgusted them, and have been making my life a living hell. I've been very depressed lately and my mom even said, "What are you going to do? Kill yourself? Then you'll definitely go to hell!" then she started laughing. I've told a lot of people about this but and my friends are trying to help. I see this as Emotional/Verbal Abuse. My friends parents said I could stay with them, and even offered to call CPS. Is there anyway for CPS to legally let me stay with them? If not then I have to run away.

[ccsmod4]

Reply: Im 15 and my parents are very homophobic.

Hello,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS).

We appreciate you sharing your feelings about the situation. Well done. It sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now and you mentioned being harmed. We’re sorry you’re going through this. You don't deserve to be hurt in any way.
You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. It may also be a good place to explore options for staying with another family member or someone you trust as far as transferring custody.

Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time.
If you would like to talk more in detail please call 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in.

Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Help!

I’m fourteen years old and have known for a few months that I am bisexual. I’ve tried to gently breach the topic with my parents, but they’re religious and homophobic. My mom looked at me with disgust when I told her I watched The Ellen Show simply because Ellen is lesbian. I’m scared of what they’ll do if they find out. They aren’t abusive, but they are extremely social. If I told them, my mom would probably go out of her way to tell everyone she bumps into that I’m bisexual (she did that with my anxiety disorder and acts like I’m special needs because of it). If she did this, there’s a possibility I might be harassed or we might lose all our family friends (most of our family friends are also homophobic and religious.)

I’ve been contemplating running away for over two years now but haven’t gotten the courage to actually do it. I’m trying to wait until I make a bit more money. I can’t bear the thought of my family losing a lot of friends and my mom potentially losing her job (catholic school teacher) simply because I’m bisexual. I’d cause so much shame in our family, and I don’t want that.

what do I do?

[ccsmod9]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. After reading through your story we want you to know you aren’t alone in this and that we would love to talk with you and sort out and make a plan to get you some type of plan going for you as it is important to live out your truth. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe, NRS

[Guest]

Hey I’m 14 and I don’t like my family the don’t trust me they bring up the pass the day thing like ima hit you and all that I live in Selma/micro and I need someone to help me leave my home like asp

[ccsmod13]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to NRS. It sounds like home has been really tough for you and asking for help was the right thing to do. You deserve to feel safe and loved at home and it sounds like that it is not happening.

If you feel like what is going on at home is abusive you have the right to report it. This could mean you are not given an adequate or healthy living situation or your family is physically harming you. Making a report could mean that a social worker would get involved to help. We are available 24/7 if you want to talk more about what is going. Additionally you can also contact the national child abuse hotline at 1-800-422-4453 or go to https://www.childhelp.org/childhelp-hotline/ if you want to learn about reporting your situation at home.

If you are not feeling safe at home and you need somewhere to go, the National Safe Place can help. All you have to do is text "safe" and your current address to 44357 or you can go to www.nationalsafeplace.org.

We are here 24/7 to listen and help if you want to talk about what has been happening at home. You can either call us at 1-800-786-2929 or use our online chat services at 1800runaway.org.

Be safe,
NRS