Any Help for a Homeless Homo?
By Jeff Girard
While employed, last fall I decided to start living in my SUV. I became a sort of homeless homo.
Not having a college education, during my first 10 years of my adulthood, I’ve been employed in dead-end, low paying jobs. Last year, I was making more than I ever had made previously – quite a bit more than minimum wage.
Having health coverage for the first time in years, I spent a lot of money catching up on dental work and attending to health issues that had been neglected. Because of my medical expenses and despite living frugally, I could never save up any money.
I wanted to buy a vehicle, but I was reluctant to start financing in this economy. If I got laid off or fired, I’d likely face repossession. I then decided to buy a cheap vehicle and live out of it for a while. I was going to save up a good down payment for a better vehicle and live out of the new vehicle until I finished paying it off.
I then bought a used SUV. After giving my thirty-day-notice, two days before I was to begin living in my vehicle, I fractured my elbows after running and tripping. More medical expenses!
I stayed with family while recovering for a month and a half. After that, the doctors let me return to work and I began living in the SUV. About a month and a half later, I got laid off. Thank goodness I did not finance a new vehicle.
Additionally, I spent much of those first 10 years of my adulthood as an activist working for equal rights and to better the LGBT community in my hometown. I started the first visible LGBT group in the very anti-gay Yuba-Sutter area (north of Sacramento) and was employed as a volunteer recruiter and trainer with NO on 8.
Though I am certainly not entitled to anything for my efforts, as the It Gets Better campaign was in full force while I was planning to move into my vehicle, I couldn’t help but wonder when exactly it gets better.
Where are the gay mentors to help someone like me – an always sober/drug free activist who’s demonstrated a passion for helping the LGBT community? Where’s our LGBT community safety net of looking out for each other? I began to wish I had the body to be a stripper or porn star. Then perhaps I wouldn’t be so disposable to my LGBT community.
In the meantime, at jeff4justice.com, I began vlogging and making skit videos about my experience as a homeless homo living in my SUV. I’ve come to realize that my survival instinct and love for humanity drive me to preserve as both an activist and as a person struggling to make it in this world.
No matter how bumpy the ride, I keep on.
Jeff Girard is an activist, infotainer, comedian, and vlogger. At jeff4justice.com you can follow his work.
