Abstract
Many New York City homeless LGBTQ+ youth grew up in environments that were violent and abusive, which they had no choice but to endure. Those who spent time on the streets and in emergency shelters experienced having to use violence, or the credible threat of violence, to protect themselves. Those who moved on to transitional living, stable government-supported housing, and other programs offering a real chance at stability had to avoid any association with violence, or they risked losing their housing. Like the LGBTQ+ rights movement itself, youth who have exited homelessness live in a place of relative safety, but they still remember times when they were victims of – and empowered by – violence.