How to reach out to and involve LGBT young people Jill Little Policy and Training Officer Public Partnership Forum

In order to Reach out to and involve LGBT Young People, we need to UNDERSTAND their identities RECOGNISE their experiences IDENTIFY their needs

LGBT Youth Scotland National youth organisation Established in 1989: support & empower LGBT young people Provide services to Young people through groups work, one to one support and mentoring, outreach work, peer education, volunteering Professionals and practitioners through policy influencing work, research, training

Understand LGBT young people’s identities

LGBT stands for… Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender But what do these words mean?

Lesbian – a female who is emotionally and physically attracted to other females Gay - A male who is emotionally and physically attracted to other males. Some women and girls prefer to refer to themselves as gay women rather than lesbian Bisexual – a person who is emotionally and physically attracted to women and men Transgender – this is an umbrella term used to describe a range of people whose gender identity or gender expression differs in some way from the assumptions made about them when they were born

Recognising LGBT young people’s experiences

EFFECTS OF HOMOPHOBIC BULLYING Negative school experience Earlier school leaving Truancy Lower attainment for LGBT young people “Harassment of same-sex attracted young people can contribute, among other things, to lack of sleep, loss of appetite, isolation, nervousness, being upset or angry, elevated rates of actual and attempted suicide and self-harm, absenteeism, truancy and limited achievement at school.” Warwick, Chase and Aggleton, 2004 You will teach pupils who are LGBT and/or are experiencing homophobic bullying or whose parents/friend/family are LGB or T

Identifying LGBT young people’s needs

We have a legal requirement to provide equality in health services irrespective of sexual orientation or gender identity True! The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in the provision of goods, facilities and services – including health care

The World Health Organisation (WHO) removed “homosexuality” from it’s classification of illnesses in…… 1993

The right for legal recognition of true gender for transsexuals finally came in… The Gender Recognition Act 2004 means that transsexuals can now apply to have their birth certificate changed so that their legal documents reflect their true gender

Lesbian women do not need to have a smear test as they don’t have sex with men therefore are not at risk of cervical cancer False! Every woman regardless of sexual orientation needs to have a smear test Seventeen percent of lesbian and bisexual women have never had a smear test compared with 7 percent of the general population One in ten who have not had a test have been told they are not at risk (Stonewall Scotland)

If young people are not out to services and the chance to disclose is not offered by service staff, then LGBT service users will remain invisible True! While monitoring of sexual orientation or gender identity can be difficult, asking questions in an open and honest format can make a massive difference

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