Listen, as a queer person, especially when you’re Black and queer, you realise that familial love is conditional. If you step outside of their expectations or ideals they have created of you/for you, I.e coming out as queer and/or trans, suddenly their familial ties are severed

I had been ‘out’ for about 2 years before I moved back to my family home to ‘save’ for my own place. I literally lasted less than 3 weeks at my family home before I was homeless. At 26 years old. By then I had aged out of the service support age as well

As a youth worker who supports queer Black youth and has done so for the past few years, I have honestly heard and witnessed some disgusting stories of families not only emotionally and mentally abusing their queer children/siblings, but physically doing so as well

Families care more about how other people view their family and holding onto homophobic/transphobic friendships, than actually caring about their family and supporting their LGBTQ+ child.

The same people and parents who will be kiki’ing with their LGBTQ+ colleagues are work, will have made their LGBTQ+ child homeless the night before.

In 2021 we cannot keep on coddling and infantilising parents who are determined to uphold homophobic and transphobic ideals. It is a choice to be homophobic and transphobic. It is a choice to love and support your child.

Do not use culture or religion or community as an excuse to explain away the way parents and family mistreat, abuse and disown queer family members and children. There is never any excuse. Do better

Anyways, if you are currently experiencing homelessness as a queer and/or trans person, I can’t express enough how important it is to seek support from organisations who can help you find temporary accommodation and/or support you to transition into permanent housing

For those who are 25 and under, you can refer yourself to:

https://stonewallhousing.org/services/referral-form/

https://www.akt.org.uk/forms/online-referral-form

The services are not perfect and they have their faults as many do. But they are there and it’s better to get some form of formal support than none at all.

If you’re anxious about the services and want to know more about them. You can email me on [email protected] and I can let you know more and give you a very honest opinion on what support they will be able to offer as I’ve worked at and with the organisations beforehand

There is also UK based Black LGBTQ+ led organisations that exist too, whilst we don’t have the same resources or capacity to help in the way that the other mainstream orgs do,We’re still here!

@ExistLoudlyUK
@BlackTransUK
@BlackLGBTFund
@blaquk

Please do @ any more below!