Regret the Error

An Aug. 20 Living section article about the lack of services for homeless gay and lesbian youth featured the experience of a young man, Solomon Christiansen. The article reported that Christiansen felt he had no where to turn, left home, dropped out of school and began taking drugs because his mother’s boyfriend couldn’t accept his homosexuality. As well, the photo caption said that Christiansen lived on the street for a year.
However, the Star failed to validate these claims with Christiansen’s mother’s friend or to present this man’s side of the story.
The man, who was not named in the article, rejects the teen’s claims and the article’s suggestion that homophobia caused the teen to leave home.
The man further says that Christiansen was never homeless and that he received family help in seeking alternative living arrangements in the neighbourhood and in paying his rent and some living expenses.