European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 2, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                1. Help for san Francisco s Youthful throwaways by Steve Brewer associated press shortly before his a Ihbe Irlda Glen Osler Gaid Lold has parents he was a homosexual he says they ordered him out of choir Home. Ostergard Tjho grew up East of san Francisco in Liny Casio Valley knew How to survive l Ike hundreds of Simitar youths. He went to a san f Francisco area known As Polk Gulch and started hustling tricks As a prostitute the slight blend youth spent two years on the streets mired in hustling and drugs before to pulled his me to Gelci will the help of Counselor Al a local youth Center now Al 19. To is trying to help other kids Whoso lives revolve around the Neon lit sidewalks and Gay bars of Polk Street Many have run away from Home choosing to live on the Street Bui Many Are people like Ostergard  panels have kicked them out social workers Call them 1howaways they re nol  irom Home because it s a glamorous. Says Greg Day chairman of the Gay and lesbian youth advocacy Council 1 us not the old Huckleberry finn idea or the 19gos Ito or child idea where Young people Are running away 1 to Lirtsm centers because that s Tho place to be these Young people Are fleeing untenable situations Al Home san Fancisco. With ils reputation As a oly Hal accepts Homos duals Ofinn is their destination Paul Soic incr. Gay Liaison officer or the police dolls of a throwaway youth from Montana to Mcl in Polk Gulch i asked him Why he made his Way to san Francisco and he said. Every Gay kid in the country knows about Polk Street and Austin Alloy " Sedlor says thai s where Hoy head " there is support Here for people who Are openly  Day says but the economics of Hie on Tho Street Are just As precarious hero As they Are across the country and the reality of it is that survival Lor youth on inc Streel is a very desperate and dangerous situation kids come to san Francisco and to other big cities thinking they re going to become adults they re going to survive on their own that s i Fiir fantasy some manage to survive so Mcdon l one o the biggest threats to survival is Tho spread of us quite immunodeficiency syndrome says Day who Nelsn works at the youth Center to says Iho Streel hustlers Are highly susceptible to aids because they have Many so partners and some abuse intravenous drugs Jed Emerson. Executive director of Ine Lark Street vouch Center says san Francisco police Esti Malo inc number of sired youths in the Day Al Between 1.500 and 2,000 Many end up in the Polk Streel area. Roaming the sidewalks in scorch of Iho necessities of steel Hie Lood and shelter drugs and Money what kids do is they ii go out. They la land on the Corner and what they re looking Lor is. Eye Contact where they ii Sec a pin or a Inck staring Al them Oslo Gard says they drive around or walk by a couple of times and then they ii Stop and say i. My name is so and so thai s where most of your business takes place they la get into she car the Ohn la say How much Rio you charge and what do you do Lor that amount the kids make their Money then hey go pay their rent it they need to pay it. Or eat if they Haven t eaten or go buy their fix then they re pretty Well set until Iho next  . Or  is inc drug of Choice on Polk Street Isle regard says some Young hustlers Are so dependent they find some Guy who s got drugs and they la do the Inck Lor the drugs and nol the Money Richard Hunter a 22 year old irom Boston who has been hushing in Tiu area Lor Thiee years said in a sidewalk conversation Hal he worries about friends who Are ruining their minds with tit drug Bui he con mugs to use it himself it Causi of my slip idly on drug. I can l oven remember my own phone number he says it s Hal bad Page 14 the stars and stripes