16 almost 17 and wanting to move out

[Unregistered]

Hi, I am about to turn 17 I live in West Virginia with my mother and stepdad. I have had a job since I was 15. I've had the same job. I work full time now & I can support myself on my own. I also am gay. I Have a girlfriend, & me and her have been together since I was 14. And I get treated so awful for it. Me and her was not allowed to even see Eachother for the longest time, it's been that long & it is still always a struggle for us to get to see eachother becuase of my mother. I hate being here, I honestly feel like I am going into depression Becuase of it. I get treated so badly I pay for every single thing that I own. Literally. & I just don't see a point in living here where i get treated awful. How would I go about moving out?

[ccsmod14]

Re: 16 almost 17 and wanting to move out

Hi there,

Thank you so much for reaching out to us here at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like there have been some difficult times for you lately and we’re sorry to hear about this. It has to be tough. We’re glad that you reached out, we’re here to help.

You shared that you are 16 and you have a job where you work full time. This is something to really be proud of, it sounds like you are really responsible and working towards becoming independent the best that you can. You shared that you have a girlfriend and you both have been treated poorly for your sexual orientation. No one deserves this and we’re sorry to hear that you have had to experience that. There’s a resource that may be able to provide more support for this specifically, the GLBT National Hotline at (88 843 4564.

We’re not legal experts here, but generally speaking if you leave home without permission from guardians before the age of 18, they would have the right to make a runaway report. If a report is made and the police find you, they would just bring you back home. However, anyone that you stay with could potentially be charged for harboring. The way that law enforcement handles these situations can differ by state, county/city, even by the individual officers responding. To get more information about how they may handle it in your area, you can call your local police department and ask hypothetically. Another option you have is to call us here at (800) RUNAWAY and we could make a call out with you or on your behalf.

Please don’t hesitate to call or chat to talk in more detail about your situation. We’re here to help.

Best,
NRS