In an OUTinPerth special report, journalist Scott-Patrick Mitchell examines how the rise in homelessness has affected queer street youth in Western Australia.

The economic mining boom has created more than just wealth – it has led to a whole new underclass, as the poor and low-income are forced out of their rentals and on to the streets. With rental prices and the general cost of living continuing to soar, the rate of homelessness in Western Australia is increasing dramatically.

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‘When I first came out on the streets, I was meeting say maybe one new kid a week, or even one a fortnight,’ says Dwayne, a 24-year-old homeless gay man. ‘But now it seems to be getting to the stage where it’s half a dozen to a dozen new people every week.’

In a recent report to the Department of Child Protection, Perth Inner City Youth Services manager Charles Snelleksz-Mathelot highlighted how, in the last 6 months, PICYS had to turn away nearly 200 young people that they could not accommodate, including 27 young children aged 10 or under.

‘From that you could say that in a 12 month period we turn away anywhere between 300 to 400 young people, which would include up to 40 young children,’ explained Snelleksz-Mathelot. ‘Usually these young people come to PICYS as a last resort, and we have to wonder where these young people go after we say no.’

THE VIEW FROM THE STREETS

For those who are not only homeless but also queer – be that gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual or transgender – the struggle to survive on the street is often even harder.

Diadara (not his real name) is openly gay and living on the streets. Now 13, he has been living on the streets from the age of 10. Though he has admitted that he does do drugs, he has recently acquired a part time job and a boyfriend, who is 14 and not homeless. Diadara said that in his years on the streets he had to cope with not just homelessness but homophobia.

‘A lot of kids, yes, do tease me because of my sexuality,’ he said. ‘I just ignore them or hit them. But I don’t usually hit them.’

Max (not his real name), 16, who is also openly gay and living on the streets, lives in a squat with seven other people and, like Diadara, admits to having experienced homophobia from other street youth.

‘I got bashed once because I wouldn’t admit I was gay,’ he said. ‘I thought I was doing the right thing, protecting myself, but I’m sure they would’ve bashed me anyway. I get picked on a lot, but I’m used to it. They’re all pricks.’

Dwayne has been homeless for about 9 months and sleeps in a doorway on a busy city street, even though he works part-time several afternoons a week. In Dwayne’s opinion, there is a real concern for the safety of GLBT street youth not only on the streets, but also in the hostels.

‘I’m of the conclusion that these kids are a lot safer on the streets because the hostels they end up in are full of drugs and abuse – both by other kids in the hostel and staff in the hostel. The ones who still live at home with their parents, they’re getting abused physically or sexually.

‘Every night they get picked up and taken back to their hostels. Twelve hours later they’re back on the streets. The state doesn’t give a crap about these kids. Every night they’ll throw them back into their hostels, throw them back into their houses, without actually caring why these kids are on the street.’

Esben Kass, from mobile youth service Step One, agrees in part with Dwayne about the difficulties GLBT street youth face.

‘We have quite an issue with a lot of same-sex attracted young people entering into crisis accommodation because of the harassment they get from the other kids. It contributes to them returning to the streets. It [GLBT youth] is a difficult group to place into accommodation services, especially if you are dealing with transgender or any sort of those issues. Accommodation services just seem to give up with that.’

OPENING CLOSETS

Perth Inner City Youth Services (PICYS) is one accommodation service that is striving to educate those working with street youth and create safe spaces for GLBT Youth. However, Snelleksz-Mathelot is quick to point out that PICYS is not a hostel but rather a program of supported interdependent living, and as such, does not experience the problems of abuse suggested by Dwayne.

‘Young people actually live in units distributed around the West Leederville area. We match our young people up and look really closely at how we can fit them well so that one lifestyle is not impinging or creating trauma on another lifestyle,’ said Snelleksz-Mathelot.

PICYS, in partnership with Gay and Lesbian Community Services (GLCS), has tackled the issue of homophobia toward same-sex attracted people (SSAP) and those of diverse sexuality and gender (DSG) with the award-winning Opening Closets initiative, which aims to re-educate service providers on how to better work with DSG individuals. Through Opening Closets service providers learn to use language that is non-heteronormative and to help queer street youth confront issues of homophobia and transphobia.

The fact remains that PICYS and the service providers who have undergone the Opening Closets training are longer able to accommodate the rising numbers of homeless youth, many of them queer. With no end in sight for the economic boom and the housing crunch it has created, the question is what more can be done?

RESOURCES FOR STREET YOUTH

• PICYS: (08) 9388 2792
• Gay & Lesbian Community Services Counselling Line: (08) 9420 7201, M-F 7pm-10pm.
• Opening Closets: GLCS currently runs Opening Closets for both service providers and employers. If interested in finding out more about Opening Closets diversity training, contact GLCS on admin@glcs.org.au or 9420 7201.
• The Freedom Centre, a gay and lesbian social space for young people: 1/471 William Street. Open Tu, W and Th 5pm-8pm.
• Step One Mobile Youth Service: 0418 942 475
• Mission Australia Youth Accommodation Support Services: 91 Berwick Street, Victoria Park, 24-hour line (08) 9470 4080.

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To hear an interview with journalist Scott-Patrick Mitchell on RTR FM’s Morning Magazine, hosted by Shannon Fox, click here.