Pride 2023 | LGBTQIA+ Homelessness

House proud campaign image with home and pride flag. text reads 'Everyone deserves a safe, affordable and accessible home. '. LGBTQIA+ sleeping rough
Our 2023 Pride campaign focuses on LGBTQIA+ homelessness and how we can all work together to make a difference.

20% of LGBTQIA+ people have experienced homelessness, including sleeping rough. The same is true for only 0.5% of the general public.

So what can we do to end LGBTQIA+ homelessness?

Pride is often thought of as a time of celebration and while this is true, its roots are in protest and resistance towards discrimination the LGBTQIA+ community faces. While a lot of progress has been made, it’s clear we still have a long way to go. Homelessness is just one example of how discrimination directly and indirectly affects this community.

LGBTQIA+ community, sleeping rough and homelessness | The facts

As mentioned above, 1 in 5 LGBTQIA+ people will experience homelessness at some point in their lives. This increases to 1 in 4 for trans+ people according to Stonewall.

But why does this occur? There are a lot of reasons why anyone starts sleeping rough but LGBTQIA+ people report some contributing factors more frequently than the general homeless population. This is unique to every people and currently, data is lacking in this area.

Possible causes of LGBTQIA+ homelessness include:

  • 61% of LGBTQIA+ youth felt unsafe in their home environment after coming out
  • 20% of LGBTQ+ young people said that, before they became homeless, a romantic partner threatened or frightened them
  • 59% of LGBTQ+ people have faced some form of discrimination or harassment while accessing services. This could prevent people from accessing support in the long-term which makes recovery from the streets difficult.

    • Source: AKT

    These statistics show that LGBTQIA+ people are being failed before, during and after their homelessness experiences.

    Personal stories also highlight the isolating experiences LGBTQIA+ people can face. Lisa*, who identifies as LGBTQIA+ and has experienced homelessness described her experiences:

    Quote reads, 'I came home that night to a barrage of verbal abuse. Mum was saying I’d embarrassed her . . . . . . By the weekend she was marching through the house and dumping anything of mine into a bag. I left the house not knowing where I was going' - LGBTQIA and sleeping rough

    What to do if you’re LGBTQIA+ struggling with homelessness

    The Connection is not a strictly LGBTQIA+ support service but we aim to make our centre a safe and affirming space for everyone. This month we will be hosting a series of Pride events in arts, music and film for the people we support to discuss together.

    Throughout the year, we work with people on an individual level to understand their exact needs and priorities – like finding gendered or non-gendered accommodation based on their identity or reconnecting with family in a constructive environment, for example. Whatever support you are looking, we will work with you to access it.

    If you’d prefer to access a LGBTQIA focused service for people facing homelessness we have a few recommendations below:

  • AKT support LGBTQ+ people aged 16-25 in the UK who are facing or experiencing homelessness or living in a hostile environment. They can support young people into safe homes and employment, education or training. Discover more here
  • Stonewall Housing is a national charity supporting LGBTQ+ people experiencing homelessness or living in an unsafe environment, providing housing advice, mental health advocacy and support for people fleeing domestic abuse. Discover more here.

    • How you can support the LGBTQIA+ community

    There are lots of ways to support LGBTQIA+ people who are experiencing homelessness! Below are a few ways to get involved this Pride.

    If you see something, say something.

    Unfortunately, a lot of discrimination occurs on the streets, including verbal and physical attacks on LGBTQIA+ people sleeping rough. If you feel it’s safe to do so, you can call out this discrimination.

    If you’re concerned for your or someone else’s safety, try chatting to them to check and see how they’re doing. You can also use this as an opportunity to put them in touch with Streetlink.

    AKT – #WhyWeExist campaign

    AKT are asking people to write to their MP to make a difference on LGBTQ+ youth homelessness by attend their event in parliament on the 14th of June. To get involved, visit their site here.

    Supporting The Connection

    Finally, you can support The Connection so we can continue to be there for people all year so they can be supported in a safe environment. To explore how you could support us, click here.

    *Name has been changed. Quote sourced from Stonewall Housing.

    Link to newsletter sign up form with text asking people to connect again