Transgender Homeless Woman Living in a Tent in Hollywood

JoJo lives in a tent homeless in Hollywood, California. She has been homeless for over five years. Like many LGBT homeless youth, JoJo's family didn't accept her as she was. JoJo left home at 17 and has been homeless ever since.

JoJo's story is heartbreaking. She was abused by her father growing up. JoJo has been kidnapped, raped, gay bashed and abused while on the streets homeless. She also suffers from Lupus.

JoJo says she continues to try and get off the streets. When an employer finds out JoJo is trans or homeless, they let her go. JoJo says she has been in and out of the homeless programs in Los Angeles.

Homelessness is a critical issue for transgender people, with one in five having experienced homelessness at some time in their lives because of discrimination and family rejection. As a result, an estimated 20-40% of the more than 1.6 million homeless youth in the United States are LGBT. Unfortunately, transgender people facing homelessness also face discrimination from agencies that should be helping them, with nearly one in three (29%) reporting being turned away from a shelter due to their transgender status.

A special thank goes to Team Invisible People