Discounted Phones Save Lives of Homeless LGBT Teens — Now They Might Be Taken Away

Nationwide, nearly two in five homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. That adds up to 650,000 young people on our streets who face special risk of bullying, discrimination, and assault. To stay safe, they rely on something simple — a wireless phone. Many homeless LGBT young people are eligible for a program that helps them get wirelessly connected. It’s called Lifeline. For decades, Lifeline has been run by the Federal Communications Commission. The program is premised on the idea that low-income individuals need basic communications to ensure they have a fair shot at securing employment, a place to live, and the ability to reach out in an emergency. In practice, it lowers the cost of phone service for those who can least afford to pay. Today, the program serves 10 million people, including many young people who lack a safe place to live. In light of the epidemic of homelessness among LGBT youth, the FCC should be figuring out how to get Lifeline service into the hands of young people who need it. But instead, the FCC’s is planning to make deep cuts to the Lifeline program. As proposed, these cuts would leave 70 percent of Lifeline participants without a connection.

[Jessica Rosenworcel is a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission]