Ruth Ellis was an out lesbian and staunch advocate for LGBTQ and African American civil rights. The Detroit home Ellis shared with her longtime partner became a safe haven for young LGBTQ people from the city and beyond. Now, the Ruth Ellis Center is carrying on its namesake's legacy by providing services and community for LGBTQ youth—a group that faces a disproportionately high rate of homelessness. On this episode, we talk about the center’s new supportive housing project and how “chosen families” help LGBTQ youth thrive.

GUESTS:

Jerry Peterson, executive director of the Ruth Ellis Center in Detroit

Lilianna Reyes, senior director of the LGBTQ youth drop-in service at Detroit's Ruth Ellis Center and head of the Trans Sisters of Color Project

Find Neenah Ellis’s interview with Ruth Ellis here.

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