Invisible Faces
Their Stories
There are a variety of reasons why a youth or young adult leaves hope and begins a chapter of their life on the streets. Many of those reasons are due to family dysfunction, parental neglect, and family addiction. Many are also left on the street to fend for themselves in towns and cities they don't know. Some are turned away by families solely for their sexual and/or gender identity. And when they become homeless, they often feel as though they are invisible to the communities around them. These are some of their stories and experiences, so they are no longer invisible.
My story
By: TJ
Hello, my name is TJ. I am transgender and I identify as female. My pronouns are she/her.
My story starts like this I was born on a ranch quite literally. I was born in a barn, I ran a ranch up until I was sixteen training horses and people and growing crops and the likes of any good rancher but throughout the years I felt unloved by my family.
​
My real father was gone before I was two. I only have a faint image of his smile and a small sense of what his hair felt like. After he was gone mom got married again and things became extremely abusive. My stepfather when punishing me got quite a bit carried away. They repeatedly drug the food that I ate and when I was crying in the corner begging to be taken to the hospital, begging God to send someone to save me they would drug me more because I was a test guinea pig for my stepdad, they beat me on a daily basis and would make me go days without food because they said if I wanted to eat I had to show my worth for it. This caused deep trauma which I have been working on for the past four to five years.
​
I am proud to say how far that I’ve come and that the memories no longer get to me. I am able to share and talk to people instead of hiding behind walls of emotionless and fake feelings. I have travel to almost all four corners of the globe; I’ve done a lot of interesting things. I’ve also seen quite a bit in my life. I used to be a car racer which is how I ended up getting to travel. I also used to compete in horseback riding competitions. I have plenty of experience with animals, basic knowledge of cars, and a wide variety of food knowledge. I am hungry for more knowledge and experience.