By Mikayla van Loon
Celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community in the Yarra Ranges in an important part of the work the Lilydale Youth Hub does with young people.
Having originally wanted to take a group of young people to participate in the Midsumma Pride March earlier in the year, youth engagement officer Yashna said with a spike in Covid-19 at the time it didn’t seem safe.
“We didn’t want our young people to miss out and there was so much passion for an event to happen, therefore we decided to hold our own event in Lilydale at the Hub,” Yashna said.
Even though it is 2022 and sexual diveristy and equality should be part of society, Yashna said sadly young people don’t always feel that way.
“This kind of representation and acknowledgement of sexual diversity for young people is essential because for a lot of our young people, they may not be able to fully express themselves in other settings for multiple reasons, but here at the Hub they can.
“Our team does our very best to ensure all young people feel safe in this space and feel comfortable to express their truest selves.”
On Thursday 14 April, the Lilydale Youth Hub held its very own Pride event, where young people gathered to take part in some activities and hear from a guest speaker before taking to the streets themselves in their very own Pride march.
Rural Rainbows guest speaker Finn spoke about their own experiences in building positive connections within the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as within their own family when they they realised they identified as non-binary.
Finn also encouraged fun and lighthearted conversation around what the young people who attended wish they could change.
“It’s amazing that we have safe and accepting spaces here in the Yarra Ranges, where young people can be themselves. It wasn’t always like this,” Finn said.
From there around 18 young people and staff from the Youth Hub made their way on the streets from Clarke Street, down along Main Street, onto Hutchinson Street, and then up John Street.
Although there were a few strange looks, there was mostly positive reinforcement via honking.
Having been working on the event for six weeks, Yashna said it was a huge success to see these young people organising and having their say in what the event should be like, something that brings a sense of solidarity.
“This event is for those who identify as part of the LGBTQIA community and also an opportunity for allies to show their support to the community,” Yashna said.
“This event will hold space for conversations around the challenges and adversity LGBTQIA+ people can face and how they can navigate and/or overcome these situations that unfortunately still happen today.”
The Lilydale Youth Hub is supporting the Rural Rainbows LGBTQIA+ Young People’s Peer Support Group by hosting the fortnightly meeting.
The first one was held on Wednesday 13 April and gives people aged 12 to 25 years living in the Yarra Ranges, who may identify within the LGBTQIA+ community or are questioning a safe, social group.
“You’ll have the chance to have fun, connect with others, and chat about things that matter most to you…coming out? relationships and sex? queer events and pride?…all in an inclusive, safe, and supportive environment,” Yashna said.
“The group is led by young people from your own community, who understand what it means to need a space where you can be exactly who you are.”
The group meets every second Wednesday from 5pm to 7pm at the Youth Hub.
