The British LGBT Awards launches U25s survey
On Monday 4 April, The British LGBT Awards launched a survey to highlight and alleviate the struggles faced by LGBT+ people under the age of 25. UCL students who are part of the LGBT+ community can complete the survey and share their experiences.
Conor Coady and Mark McAdams at the British LGBT Awards.
The survey was announced in the recent press release where Sarah Garrett MBE, the founder of the British LGBT Awards, said: “We are re-launching this survey to assess the current situation for young LGBT+ people, as so much has changed since last time.” The survey that has been released this year has been updated to align with the constantly changing landscape and to review new challenges.
The U25s survey was initially launched in response to the struggles faced by a young transgender boy, AX, who was unable to receive any guidance as he had no access to any LGBT+ resources. His parents denied him access to the internet as they disagreed with his gender identity.
In an attempt to help AX cope with the struggles he faced, a mutual friend of the British LGBT Awards taught him to channel his feelings into art instead. AX’s art was a part of the British LGBT Awards’ fundraising event and the money was then donated to LGBT charities to help others in a similar situation.
LGBT+ services are heavily underfunded. Since 2011, there has been a 44% cut in funding for youth services, further increasing the challenges faced by the LGBT+ youth as they cannot gain access to the support they need.
These continuous challenges can be anonymously expressed by the LGBT+ youth in the U25s survey so that workplaces, schools, and other communities can target areas for improvement. The British LGBT Awards are hoping to continue to raise awareness for the community and the struggles faced by young people and to learn how they can be better supported.
Any members of the LGBT+ community and aged 18-25 can take part in this survey up until the 24 April. You can complete the survey by clicking here.