Keep Castro safe

Regarding “Is the Castro still an LGBTQ safe haven?” (Opinion, SFChronicle.com, Dec. 16): I was one of those gay youths who came to San Francisco in the 1970s, found an inexpensive place to live in the Castro, have hence thrived here and still live in the neighborhood.

I concur that one of our most important challenges is that our youth and those choosing to come to San Francisco for whatever reason need help, including housing.

Much progress is being made. I would like to give a shout-out to many groups such as Strut, Larkin Street Youth Services, Lyric Center for LGBTQ+ Youth, the Charles Holmes LGBTQ Center, Horizons and others that are making valiant efforts to help youth who need help — they are our future.

However, welcoming these youth to sleep on our sidewalks and destroy commerce in the Castro is not the answer, and criticizing the caring people who signed the friend of the court brief supporting common-sense safety laws is not the right approach.

Alan Billingsley, San Francisco