STATE OF YOUTH

Surprising New Research Paints A Difficult Picture For LGBTQI Youth

Screen Shot 2015-02-26 at 11.10.21 AMAccording to research carried out by The Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT), a whopping 24 percent of homeless youth living in the United Kingdom identify as LGBTQI.

The study, which consisted of a 36-question survey distributed to 473 housing providers across England, Scotland and Wales, aimed to get a clearer picture of the experience of queer homeless youth between age 16-25.

The fact that nearly a quarter of respondents identified as LGBTQI was not the only surprising revelation.

69 percent of that 24 percent reported being forced out of their family home after being rejected due to their sexuality.

Abuse — physical, mental and sexual — also showed up in 69 percent of responses.

Tim Sigsworth, CEO of The Albert Kennedy Trust said:

“After 25 years witnessing the rejection and abuse of LGBT youth just for being brave enough to come out to their peers and family, this report is a much-needed call to action for government, housing providers, and everyone concerned with young peoples’ wellbeing.

Making a number of specific, achievable and cost-effective recommendations we hope to help others prevent lifetimes of youth homelessness and its enduring impact on mental, physical and emotional health.”

Gay Star News reports that austerity measures have caused social services available to homeless youth in the UK to be on a steady decline, currently at their lowest level since 2009.

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