“Hey Q Q!” Shirley Raines calls. Colorful flowers, potted plants and a “Home Sweet Home” sign adorn the entrance to Q’s house.
K, who is transgender and HIV positive, says in the episode that he felt vulnerable life in the main area of Skid Row.
“This zone is so sweet to me,” Kay says. “It’s very safe for me.”
Raines says the main part of the skit row may be “very regional”, which is why some blocks of gay and other members of the gay and transgender live far away.
“If you can’t protect yourself, you shouldn’t go to Rowe,” Raines says. “You stay right here.”
Despite the challenges he faces, Kay maintains a positive outlook.
“I love life. I love the scent of nature, the flowers and the plants,” he says. “This is a world too. We don’t have the luxury things they have downstairs, but we are human beings just like them.”
Two weeks after the episode “United Shades of America” aired on CNN, Raines revealed some happy news about his friend: Q’s family found him on the show and brought him home.
“He’s back home and is doing well,” Raines told CNN this week.
Raines said Cue has been looking after his family for 26 years and although the homeless men and women he worked with have taken to the streets, very few have reunited with their relatives.
“She sleeps in a bed, eats at a table, and lives a life worthy of everyone,” Raines said. “She’s written ‘miracle’ all over.”
