Presenters:
Ilona Abramovich, PhD student, Adult Education & Community Development Program, University of Toronto-
OISE, Toronto
Lorraine Barnaby, Health Promoter, Shout Clinic, Toronto
Michelle Le-Claire, Trans Youth Toronto, The 519 Church Street Community Centre; Trans Youth Beyond the Binary, Associated Youth Services of Peel; Community Engagement Team member, TransPULSE Project; Youth Services Worker, Eva’s Satellite,Toronto
Family conflict and abuse due to youths’ queer identity have been found to be among the primary reasons
that youth become homeless (Ray, 2006). It has been estimated that approximately 25-40% of homeless youth in Toronto are LGBTQ (Josephson & Wright, 2000). Of the few studies that have focused on LGBTQ youth homelessness, it has been reported that a high proportion of LGBTQ homeless youth feel safer on the streets than in shelters due to homophobic and transphobic violence that occurs in the shelter system (Ray, 2006). Only a small number of studies have actually looked at the perspectives of LGBTQ youth who have experienced homelessness in the city of Toronto. (References: Josephson, G. & Wright, A. (2000). Ottawa GLBT wellness project: Literature review and survey instruments; Laird, G. (2007). Shelter: Homelessness in a growing economy; Ray, N. (2006). Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
youth: an epidemic of homelessness)
This panel discussion will focus on the lack of support ailable to LGBTQ youth who are homeless in Toronto, the barriers they face in accessing services, homophobia and transphobia in the shelter system, and solutions for service providers. A short film on these issues will be shared and there will also be discussion on the importance and impact of promoting greater knowledge of the prevalence of LGBTQ youth among street youth populations and their specific concerns (of knowledge translation).
