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‘Kids Help Phone’ Provides New Site for Canada’s LGBTQ Youth

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Although exploring one’s sexual identity can be an ongoing process, it can be particularly complex for LGBTQ youth, as they realise they may have to cope with stigma, discrimination, and social intolerance.

LGBTQ youth often face many challenges that contribute to putting them at greater risk for violence, abuse, isolation, mental illness, homelessness, and suicide. As a frequent first-point of contact for these young people, Kids Help Phone – a Toronto based charity – is enhancing its support for LGBTQ youth with the launch of new site to provide information, tips and tools to support.

Kids Help Phone known for its expertise in providing vital, innovative counselling services to children and youth in communities across Canada. Since 1989 it has offered children, teens and young adults a critical lifeline of hope and support, through its free, anonymous and confidential service.

Kids Help Phone’s professional counsellors support the mental health and well-being of young people ages five to 20, in urban, rural, and remote communities, by providing one-on-one counselling, information and resources online and by phone, in English and French.

“Questioning and exploring sexual identity can be complex for young people. LGBTQ youth can experience confusion, anger, be scared, feel alone or even isolated and have low self-esteem; it’s crucial that they have a range of resources, some safe space, to help them feel supported and help them find the answers they are looking for. In some communities in Canada, Kids Help Phone is the only professional counselling service available 24/7 to LGBTQ youth. No matter what they are struggling with, we want them to know that Kids Help Phone is there, on the phone and online.”

Alain Johnson, Clinical Director, French Language Services.


 

Did you know:

  • 16% of Kids Help Phone clients self-identify as LGBQ
  • 4% of Kids Help Phone clients self-identify as transgender
  • LGBTQ youth are approximately three times more likely to attempt suicide than other youth
  • Studies show that 10% of secondary school adolescents reported being unsure of their sexual orientation (Williams et al., 2004)

 

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If only the world was as “open-minded” as us… Alas, matters of sexual identity and equal love, often cause so much friction in the rest of the world. Here, find an open dialogue on the issues facing our LGBT community.

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