Grants Pass, Ore. — A transgender woman is sleeping on the street Friday night, after she said the Gospel Rescue Mission of Grants Pass would not let her stay with them. According to the woman, Jennifer Ney, the Gospel Rescue Mission cited religion as the reason why she isn’t welcome.
“Some people are accepting and some people are rejecting,” Ney said.
Ney has been transgender for the last 24 years. While she’s sleeping on the street, she says that isn’t anything new.
“They just threw me out in the streets there in Tulsa, I was in Oklahoma City, they says, ‘you’re not welcome here.'”
Ney says the latest homeless shelter to not accept her is the Gospel Rescue Mission of Grants Pass.
“They said the likes of you as a transgender person is not welcome here because of biblical teachings.”
NBC5 News reached out to the Gospel Mission by phone and in person on Friday; they declined to comment on the allegations.
Ney says a lot of other issues are recently gaining support, locally and nation-wide, but she feels being transgender is still something a lot of people don’t accept.
“We legalize marijuana, no problem, we legalize same sex marriage, but us transgender people will always be put in the corner.”
While Ney isn’t expecting to stay in the area for much longer, she’s hoping they’ll take her situation into consideration for the next person.
“I just hope they change for the better.”
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