“Many of the participants noted that organizations like ROCK have innovative and relevant educational and supportive programming to meet the diverse needs of the LGBTQ+ population. However the reach of programs like ROCK are limited due to shortage of staff, and the geographical dispersion of families requiring such support. Additional funding to extend the reach of programs that support LGBTQ+ youth and focus on public awareness to create safe spaces is recommended. This was something that was really clear in both our conversations with service providers and with the youth themselves. Although there is a growing awareness and are an increased number of resources available for LGBTQ+ youth, many more are needed, with an additional focus on mental health and medical resources.
In the youth focus group, they were really clear that schools and other institutions as well as the general public needed better education about LGBTQ+ issues. They felt that people were often not equipped to work with them in a way that was honouring of their identities and experiences.
“Teachers say things that they don’t know about gender identity…they should not be allowed to do that. “There are still many homophobic and transphobic teachers that should not be allowed to teach.”(Youth Focus Group Participant)”
