LGBTQ+ youth in York Region: 'Simply throwing up a rainbow flag is not enough

Newly launched research from Seneca College reveals homeless youth feel unsafe

Yorkregion.com
March 25, 2019
Kim Zarzour

Negative encounters and concerns about safety are par for the course among homeless youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit, gender nonconforming or queer (LGBTQ+) in York Region.

That’s according to a new research study investigating issues facing LGBTQ+ youth, including the need for an emergency housing service designed to serve this group, released at Seneca College King Campus this week.

The report, from Seneca’s School of Community Studies in collaboration with 360Kids, was the first of its kind, a comprehensive glimpse into the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ youth who have experienced homelessness or precarious housing.

The survey noted what is working well -- teachers ask pronouns, youth feel comfortable openly identifying to teachers, and Gay Straight Alliance groups make them feel welcomed at school.

But most youth described their housing as insecure and stated they could not discuss their LGBTQ+ identity at home without risking their safety and housing security. They also spoke about difficulties managing their mental health and a lack of social activities relevant to LGBTQ+.

Study participants also reported inhospitable, intolerant or unsafe social service settings or service delivery.

Most youth involved in the study reported staff tolerated or actively ignored homophobic and transphobic behaviours and attitudes from other service users. The youth said they were forced to constantly scrutinize and assess to determine if they were safe. Bathrooms and bedrooms were a significant area of concern.

“People were saying they wanted to go on a gay killing spree, and staff was laughing,” one participant said.

Respondents recommended youth shelters implement and enforce policies that allow them to openly and without question identify themselves and to feel safe from discrimination, violence and exclusion.

As one participant noted: “simply throwing up a rainbow flag is not enough -- there needs to be a cultural change."

The report also found a need for private, single-person washrooms with a full (floor to ceiling) and lockable door, not gendered in any way, and accessible to clients without having to ask staff for a key or permission. When that is not possible, the next best alternative is to have multiple, gender-neutral washrooms with lockable, private stalls.

York Region has three small emergency shelters for women escaping violence, one shelter for women experiencing homelessness, one shelter for men, one family shelter, and three youth shelters, the report said. There is no shelter expressly designed for LGBTQ+ youth, as there is in Toronto.

York Region LGBTQ+ youth are significantly underserved by the existing social service infrastructure, the report said, and youth are not aware of the very few programs that are available -- leading most to travel to Toronto services.

The Seneca study took place over a four-month period and included five focus groups and 59 surveys. Most respondents were between the ages of 16 and 26, all said they had experienced being homeless in York Region, and most reported spending most of their time in Newmarket or Richmond Hill -- likely because these towns are considered most youth-service concentrated.

A similar study has just been launched, led by Alex Abramovich, an assistant professor at University of Toronto and scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. The two-year study will involve in-depth one-on-one interviews along with surveys through the use of a mobile research lab.