Everyone deserves a safe and loving home!

Today we’re launching a new mini-campaign together with True Colors United and Cyndi Lauper in hopes of starting new conversations on a very important topic – young people without a place to call home.

LGBTIQ+ youth are much more likely to experience not having a home than their peers. The cause is often rejection and abuse by their own families and communities. Given their age and dependence on family and community networks, leaving home starts a vicious circle that makes them vulnerable to yet more discrimination and violence. Similarly, discrimination and violence they experience in schools and other institutions can be both drivers of homelessness and barriers to finding a new home. Living without a home can lead to poverty, physical and mental health issues, sexual abuse and physical violence, all of which make it even harder to find a new home.

All young people have the right to a safe and stable home, LGBTIQ+ youth included. Together we can build a world where ALL young people feel welcome - no matter who they are or whom they love!

Youth should be a time for discoveries, growth and dreams of future adventures. But it’s hard to dream about and strive for a bright future without the safety of a place to call home. Not having a home is a devastating experience with serious negative effects on the physical, mental and emotional well-being and the overall life-trajectory of a young person. And it is the grim reality of far too many young lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) people.

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LGBTIQ+ youth are much more likely to experience not having a home than their peers. The cause is often rejection and abuse by their own families and communities. Given their age and dependence on family and community networks, leaving home starts a vicious circle that makes them vulnerable to yet more discrimination and violence. Similarly, discrimination and violence they experience in schools and other institutions can be both drivers of homelessness and barriers to finding a new home. Living without a home can lead to poverty, physical and mental health issues, sexual abuse and physical violence, all of which make it even harder to find a new home.

All young people have the right to a safe and stable home, LGBTIQ+ youth included. Together we can build a world where all young people feel welcome – no matter who they are or whom they love!

How you can help:

  • Educate yourself about homelessness and the experiences of LGBTIQ+ youth without a home, their issues and concerns.

  • Advocate for the rights of homeless LGBTIQ+ youth, including women, migrants, youth with disabilities, youth of African descent, indigenous and minority youth and others who face multiple forms of discrimination.

  • Speak out when you see any form of stigma, discrimination or violence against LGBTIQ+ youth experiencing homelessness.

  • Openly support inclusion of young LGBTIQ+ people in youth programs.

  • Volunteer with local organizations/shelters that serve LGBTIQ+ youth without a home.

  • Donate money, food, clothing and other resources to homeless LGBTIQ+ youth in your community.

  • Engage in and support efforts to change policies and laws, secure funding, and advance programs that will address LGBTIQ+ youth homelessness.

  • Share our online and social media content to spread the word among your friends and social networks.

Governments can end LGBTIQ+ youth homelessness by:

  • Focusing on prevention and early intervention by:

    • offering family counselling and case management

    • connecting youth with LGBTIQ+ friendly employers, community supports, and social groups

    • raising youth awareness of community resources

    • providing immediate access to safe housing, particularly for those most vulnerable

    • meeting the specific needs of transgender and gender-nonconforming youth

    • ensuring facilities and programs are inclusive and safe spaces for women, migrants, youth with disabilities, youth of African descent, indigenous and minority youth and others who face multiple forms of discrimination

    • working together with LGBTIQ+ youth who have experienced homelessness in designing, implementing, and improving programs that support their journey forward

  • Eliminating any laws or policies that discriminate against LGBTIQ+ people

  • Eliminating any laws or policies that criminalize homelessness

  • Ensuring non-discrimination laws clearly protect all persons from violence and discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics

  • Ensuring education, healthcare and other stakeholders that work with young people receive training and guidance on inclusion and non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics

  • Investigating all incidents of violence and discrimination against LGBTIQ+ youth and holding perpetrators accountable

  • Ensuring accessibility of programs that serve youth experiencing homelessness, including for residents from rural areas

  • Providing for the health care needs of homeless youth, including access to gender affirming care for trans youth, and access to safe sex information and materials

  • Ensuring ongoing monitoring and data collection on access to adequate, safe and affordable housing for LGBTIQ+ people, including LGBTIQ+ youth

Read more at the Free and Equal Campaign