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The article describes the conditions of queer youths who are rejected by family and friends. Many queer youths flee to the streets of New York City. According to a 2003 New York City task force report, numerous studies over the past decade have found that a whopping 25 percent to 40 percent of the homeless youth population in New York and other large U.S. cities identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The Ali Forney Center is one of only a handful of shelters, along with Sylvia's Place, Green Chimneys, Carmen's Place, and most recently, Trinity Place, offering beds to LGBT homeless youths in New York City.

The article presents the personal experiences of Frank Mok, a gay youth. Mok was extremely disappointed in 2004 when United States President George W. Bush, who has many anti-gay policies, was reelected, but his hopes were lifted in 2006 during the mid-term elections when the Democratic party took control of Congress. Mok also learned to cope with feelings that he didn't fit in in the country when several celebrities publicly came out of the closet, including T. R. Knight from "Grey's Anatomy" and actor Neil Patrick Harris.