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The Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line
is a toll-free Ontario-wide peer-support phone line
for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual,
2-spirited, queer and questioning young people.
The Youth Line also provides online peer-support
through the online forum and email response. In
the Greater Toronto Area, speakers and workshops
can be requested.
The Youth Line grew out of discussions in May 1993
among youth members of a then forming national lesbian
and gay rights group. Over the next year they developed
the concept of a toll-free phone line to assist
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and two-spirited
young people across Ontario. It was agreed that
isolation and lack of information are tremendous
barriers facing youth. The group believed that a
peer based phone support line would alleviate the
loneliness felt by queer youth, would help to prevent
youth from making self-destructive choices because
of their overwhelming isolation and would affirm
youth’s sexual identity.
The first organizing meeting of the Youth Line was
held in June 1993, and included representatives
from other queer youth organizations in Toronto.
Through the hard work of volunteers and the support
and endorsement of community agencies including
the Kid’s Help Phone, the Children’s
Aid Society of Metropolitan Toronto and Distress
Centres Ontario, the phone lines opened on May 2,
1994. Over the next two years, the service grew
to provide peer support and information to over
300 young people per month.
The Youth Line currently has over sixty volunteers,
three full-time and two part-time staff. The phone
lines are open 4:00pm to 9:30 pm, Sunday through
Friday. |
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