This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Leaders of Affirmation, a support group for gay and lesbian Mormons, plan to draw attention to the plight of gay homeless youths by spending a night on the streets of San Francisco.
David Melson, George Cole and Micah Bisson, in a news release, say they will spend 20 hours, from Oct. 6-7, living as if they were homeless before Affirmation's annual conference Oct. 8-10.
A disproportionate number of homeless youths, 20 to 40 percent nationally, are LGBT. One survey at a Salt Lake City homeless youth center found that 42 percent of those served identified as something other than straight. About 8 percent of Salt Lake City's population is LGBT.
The Affirmation officers plan to ditch their cell phones, wallets and drivers licenses. They will be left alone in different parts of the city. Journalists have been invited to document the event.
The 33rd annual Affirmation conference in San Francisco includes a "Stand up to Suicide" rally Oct. 8, 6-8 p.m. Details about the conference can be found here.