Twenty10: queer peer power

Many of us can remember a time in our life’s journey when we sought support through community organisations, if only as a social stepping stone or gateway to the broader queer communities. Like Twenty10, most of these organisations rely on the generous support of volunteers in order to do their invaluable work.

Every year, more than 5 million Australians donate their time and energy to volunteering, and the nation recently celebrated their incredible contribution with National Volunteer Week (May 9 – 15), the largest celebration of volunteers and volunteerism in Australia.

Twenty10 volunteers are invaluable, filling a range of important roles, but perhaps the most important role they play is to be a multi-generational peer to our young clients. Many of the young people we see at Twenty10 have been let down or rejected by adults in their lives and our volunteers help them to see that our community extends beyond the relationships developed on dancefloors, bars, or social-networking applications.

You may have seen the ‘It gets better’ online campaign featuring video messages of hope to young queer folks from their older peers. While it’s a great campaign, young queer people need support now. Our volunteers aren’t here to tell them that it gets better — instead they make it better immediately by being supportive, non-judgmental and helping our clients celebrate their uniqueness right now.

Like Harry and Dumbledore, Buffy and Giles, Xena and Gabrielle, multi-generational peers support and learn from each other. Our volunteers say they learn a lot from interacting with young people. Their resilience and optimism in the face of everyday mundane adversity is inspiring.

Many of us invest time and money in travelling the globe to uncover the diversity of other cultures. Why not take a look instead in your own backyard and explore the myriad cultures and subcultures that make up the rich tapestry of our own communities?

If you’re interested in volunteering, contact one of the amazing organisations that support them or visit www.govolunteer.com.au

By Terence Humphreys, the Volunteer and Community Education Officer at Twenty10.