Gay youths hit by economic dowturn
Gay and lesbian youth are being hit hard by the economic downturn, newly appointed Twenty10 executive officer Rebecca Reynolds said.
Twenty10 has reported an influx of young people coming in to use their laundry facilities. The organisation is concerned that kids are being forced into sub-standard conditions or taking up couch surfing as jobs become scarcer, particularly for inexperienced young people.
A lot of the young people who come here have been living in boarding houses -” which are crap accommodation, really, and aren’t safe for young people -” as people get pushed out of the rental market or forced out of their homes, Reynolds told Sydney Star Observer.
It’s a really big problem that we need to start talking to a wide range of people about. Young people and particularly young queer people aren’t going to be the ones who are going to be sleeping on the streets.
They’re going to be the ones doing unsafe things, like picking someone up so they have a bed for the night and then feeling obliged to have sex.
Or they’re couch surfing, which is fine if you do it once in a while after a big night, but they’re doing it on a regular basis which means they have no stability.
The number of people coming in and using our washer, dryer and shower facilities and food has increased because they don’t have access to those things, because they’re just sleeping on someone’s floor.
Even if it is a safe space, if you’re only sleeping somewhere then you can’t sustain things like studying or going to uni, she said adding that people as young as 16 are being affected.
Reynolds said this will be an increasing priority for Twenty10 over the coming months as the global economic crisis continues to grow, and one which they will be increasingly speaking about with government heads and departments, including federal Housing Minister Tanya Plibersek.
There is a gap at the moment and the government has said that it has the money to do intervention work. This is an area they need to start working on, Reynolds said.
Young people need to know that the government can help them and that they can access money or that there is someone who will find accommodation for them so they can stay in school and feel safe.
info: For more information on Twenty10 or to donate money visit twenty10.org.au.
In 2009, no gay person should be discriminated against at all both socially and legally!! I blame both the government and religion. It really is a sham on the Government not to fund more programs to save gay men and lesbians from suicide and to help them find resonable accomodation. People like the stinking pope and religion is causing all these problems! As an unemployed 23 year-old white autistic gay male activist, I say to the politicians and religious zelots “Sham on you”, “this is 2009” and “Kevin Rudd and Nathan Rees wake up and smell the roses”!!! Politicians are homophobic little pigs. Remember the uproar about the home and away gay character? Wake-up people it is 2009!!!!
Gary raises some good points here. Too many Oldies love going to jatz cracker and Champaigne get togethers with no real relevance whatsoever. “All talk and socialising, but never any action” This country has problems with youth poverty just as much as any other country.
Steady on Gary, that’s a bit unfair. Nobody expects that the good folk at acon joined that social club because they were interested in helping community; its a career move for the pathologically self-interested and a refuge for the chronically unemployable.
However, it does seem that an awful lot of charities are going begging lately. Sadly, i think they might have to work a bit for their money. Why not stage an art auction? I know a lot of glbqti artists who’d be glad to donate their work. I would. Maybe acon could even flog off some of the treasures in their glory box. :)
Why can’t we as a community hold more fundraising nights to help raise adequate funds to help gay teenagers and the Twenty 10 cooperation ?
This money would than help put a roof over the heads of young teenagers and protect them from the winter chill.
ACON,(Aids Council of NSW) is using “public money” to show gay men how to to have better sex.(disgraceful waste of public money)
This money could be better directed to Twenty 10 and it’s youth services.
We as a community mustn’t let young kids slide into poverty and a street life of uncertainty.
These kids might wind up in a life of drug addiction or prostitution.
We as a community must do more to help gay teenagers.
I feel there is too much self obsessing by the spokespersons in our community because this group gives the illusion it cares for the down trodden and vulnerable folk.
That’s not true.
Just go to any cocktail party around town and you will see the same tired “old” community faces talking the same crap while claiming a self importance.
I ask this group one question,
Have you ever been really hungry ?
And I don’t just mean getting yourself ready for supper !
Come on ACON do more to help real people in real need of a helping hand.
Where’s is your compassion ???