Safe space sought for LGBTQ+ youth
Northern News Services
Friday, May 20, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The Yellowknife Youth Rainbow Centre is a community space proposed by It Gets Better Yellowknife, meant to provide a safe space for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth in the community.
The proposed space would be a hang-out centre, a resource library as well as a hub for LGBTQ-related organizations, according to Jacq Brasseur, co-chair of It Gets Better Yellowknife - an outreach organization for youth.
Mayor Mark Heyck, who had a lunch with youth from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community to hear their perspectives in April, said the need was clear.
"One of the key things is that many of the youth in the community are looking for a safe space, and for LGBTQ youth in particular, this can be challenging to find," he said.
"So I'm happy to hear that It Gets Better Yellowknife, for example, has some ambitious plans to look at creating that safe space where people can come and talk about the issues and challenges that they face in a safe environment."
Brasseur said without the work of OutNorth, which existed in the 1990s and early 2000s, much of today's work wouldn't be possible.
"We pay homage to them in everything we do," said Brasseur.
So far there is no planned location for the Yellowknife Youth Rainbow. Brasseur said having it open for next school year would be ideal.
