A masculine, angelically handsome, and openly gay Italian who was once nicknamed "Baby Jesus" by homeless men on Bowery, Siciliano has helped NYC's destitute ever since high school, when he'd skip classes to work in soup kitchens. "I was a radical Catholic," he laughs. In recent years, he has worked primarily with LGBT youth�an often-neglected demographic of the homeless population who are at increased risk of discrimination, violence, HIV infection, and drug addiction. "It's scandalous that these kids suffer so much, and that they have so few resources," states Siciliano emphatically. "What these young people go through is horrible!"

The youthfully exuberant Siciliano, who charmingly states his age as "younger than Brad Pitt," believes that homeless youths are most likely to be homeless because they're gay. "These kids are at ground zero in the culture war," he claims. "The message of the gay movement is: 'come out.' But no one has thought about what it takes for a kid to come out." Siciliano continues, "no one has considered what services need to be in place when a teenager comes out and is rejected by his or her family."

Astonishingly, a recent government study reported that 25% of all LGBT teens are thrown out of their homes by bigoted, ignorant parents. Siciliano also points out that, in many instances, the reaction to a kid's coming out is a violent one. He recalls all-too-common, real-life horror stories: a 15-year-old boy is nearly choked to death by his Protestant minister father; another is told, at gunpoint, "Get out! You're no longer my son!"; and numerous young women are raped after revealing their sexual orientation. "Gay homeless kids, by and large, are homeless because they've had the courage to come out. That makes them heroes!" Siciliano further stresses that every community has a responsibility to take care of its heroes. Sharing Siciliano's compassion for troubled youth are the center's modest staff and volunteers. In addition to shelter, the facility-open every night from 8pm to 8am-provides meals, clothing and comprehensive counseling: whatever it takes to help the kids survive and thrive in NYC. When not working directly with the youths, Siciliano concentrates on fundraising. He's extremely frustrated by Federal and State government's lack of support, and his organization's limited resources: The Ali Forney Center has 12 beds and a waiting list of more than 100 homeless GLBT youth. The hardships and tragedies, like Forney's murder, take their toll on Siciliano. "I cry," he confesses. Then, he gets back to work!

"It's not all bad news," Siciliano says assuredly. There are success stories as kids find jobs, reconcile with families, become self-sufficient, and move into permanent housing. The greatest reward is what he learns from the kids. "They give me perspective and teach me about the human spirit," he proudly states. "These young people contend with a degree of rejection, trauma and brutality that, hopefully, most of us will never experience. And yet, every morning, they pick their vulnerable selves out of bed and face their day. Their resilience gives me hope."

To make a donation, please make checks payable to The Ali Forney Center, and mail to: 3151 Broadway, Suite #2C, New York, NY 10027.

For more information or to volunteer, call 212-222-3427 or visit www.aliforneycenter.org.