Australia's LGBTQIA+ youth report physical, verbal assault — but also queer joy
One in 10 LGBTQIA+ young people say they have been physically assaulted in the last year, according to a new landmark study.
More than a third of those interviewed nationally had experienced physical harm for their identity in their lifetime.
Minus18, a mental health charity for queer youth, released the data as part of their national Queer Youth Now survey.
Almost 3,000 LGBTQIA+ young people aged between 13-25 were interviewed across Australia.
Public discourse and debate surrounding Australia's queer community made the numbers unsurprising for project lead Alvi Ahmed.
"It's still really confronting that we found nine in 10 LGBTQ+ young people in our survey had faced bullying, harassment, or violence due to their identity," he told the ABC.
"[The reports of violence] are sadly consistent with previous studies done in this space as well.
"And so the message is still loud and clear that these experiences are still happening.
"Over half of young people [surveyed] had experienced verbal harassment as well in the past year, which is a big finding.
"But importantly, there's so much that we can do to help combat anti-LGBTQ+ hate.
"There's small actions people can take [to] make a real difference in the lives of queer young people."
I came out to my first university class and a woman from class came to talk to me because her 10-year-old transgender son had never met another trans person. I was able to show a 10-year-old kid that there is a future for us.
— National Youth Survey participant ❝
When my best friend came out to me it made me feel so proud because without each other we wouldn't have had the courage to be ourselves. I found euphoria through my friendship with her and my own unique relationship with gender through my autism. I feel things so different and it's beautiful.
— National Youth Survey participant ❝
I feel the most happy and proud when I am walking around with my partner's hand in mine.
— National Youth Survey participant ❝
My queer alliance at school is one of my favourite places to be at school. Love you guys!!
— National Youth Survey participant
A snapshot of Australia's young queer community
Of the 2,724 young people aged between 13 to 25 surveyed, 64 per cent were transgender, gender-diverse or non-binary.
Almost half were still in high school and more than a third lived in rural, regional or remote areas.
The majority said they had first questioned or realised their identity about the age of 12.
Minus18's chief executive Micah Scott said the data affirmed the "lived experience" of Australia's young LGBTQIA+ community.
"It [also] gives us clear, actionable direction to improve the support systems they rely on," he said.
"It tells us where to focus, what needs to change, and how we can better show up for queer youth across the country."
The report, supported by the Telstra Foundation and aided by more than 20 community organisations, is the largest national survey of LGBTQIA+ youth in recent years.
It provided a "vital" snapshot of the community, according to Minus18.
Only six per cent of respondents felt the Australian government understood and listened to people like them.
Many said they did not feel safe being completely open about their identity at school, in sports settings or at home.
Having access to inclusive facilities and seeing visible support — like lanyards, posters and flags at school — also helped them feel accepted, according to the report.
Where an LGBTQIA+ student group was available, 71 per cent said they got involved — but only half of the respondents had access to that kind of group.
Mr Ahmed said there was a "discrepancy between what young people want and what they actually see on the ground".
He added there were also differences between the experiences of those aged under 18 and those aged 18-25.
"[There are] different ways in which people engage with community in terms of the events that they attend," he said.
"Under 18s are more likely to attend queer formals or rainbow balls, and over 18s are more likely to attend public pride events.
"Our interpretation of that is that often some public pride events aren't catered to those who are under 18, and so at Minus18 we base a lot of our events on the premise of creating a space for young people to connect."
Finding queer joy in 'being seen and being celebrated'
Amid reports of violence, harassment and fear, the survey also gave a spotlight to something "deeply" important — queer joy.
A total of 79 per cent of LGBTQIA+ young people said they had felt a sense of "acceptance and inclusion" relating to their identity in the last year.
A similar number said they had felt "pride or euphoria" for their identity.
Despite 10 per cent of those surveyed saying they had "no-one" as a role model in their lives, others looked to friends, family, teachers, coworkers — as well as influencers and celebrities — for inspiration.
Mr Ahmed said he wanted the report to show "what the future can be".
"It shows us that queer young people are finding queer joy everywhere," he said.
"They find it in friendship. They're finding it in support. They're finding it in being seen and being celebrated.
"So we know that these moments matter deeply to young people.
"By highlighting these queer joy experiences, we're trying to show that there is a future where queer young people can experience joy and euphoria and be celebrated for who they are.
"So we hope these findings can help queer young people now, but also … into the future and help create a better environment for young people in a more safe and welcoming world."
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