Sex!Life! - Supporting Same Sex Attracted Young People

Supporting Same-Sex Attracted Young People, Their Families, Schools and Communities

Yak — a social support group for Same Sex Attracted Young People

Yak is a social support group for young men and women who are attracted to others of the same sex. Some of the participants identify as gay or lesbian, others as bisexual, whilst some prefer the term queer. Some are unsure of their sexual identity, confused about who they are, or reluctant to pigeonhole themselves with a particular identity. Yak aims to create a safe place for these diverse young people to meet and discuss a range of issues in a comfortable, relaxed environment.

Yak welcomes students, workers, unemployed people, and homeless people, up to the age of twenty-five. The group aims to be a supportive environment for young people with sexual orientation issues.

The young people who attend Yak have painted, decorated and furnished a comfortable room for their meetings. Each meeting will generally revolve around a particular topic, such as coming out to parents, making friends, relationships, safer sex, and dealing with homophobia. Participants are encouraged to suggest further topics for discussion. As well as discussion, there are opportunities during each session to relax, chat, and get to know other participants.

Yak does not use rigidly structured programs for its group work. A range of activities and strategies are used for ice breaking, trust building and encouraging open and honest communication. The bulk of the work in supporting participants’ sexual orientation is done by allowing each person to tell their ‘story’ — when they first realised they weren’t ‘straight’, how they felt about it and dealt with it, who they’ve told, etc. Similarly, homophobia is discussed through the participants’ individual experiences, and strategies for minimising the impact of homophobia arise from the diversity of stories shared.

Groups are, of course, a social experience, and for these marginalised young people opportunities to socialise safely and comfortably with peers outside of support groups may be minimal. Participants are given some time to just ‘hang out’ together, with the facilitator ensuring that individual participants are not left out. Group games are good for this, and can also be used to separate out the ‘heavier’ educational and support activities.

The group runs twice a month on Friday evenings. Whilst attending the group, participants can also make use of the Action Centre’s clinical services for sexual health care, including STI check-ups, HIV/AIDS and hepatitis testing and counselling. Condoms and lubricant, and printed information on HIV/AIDS, STIs and Hepatitis B & C, and safer sex are freely available.

In facilitating a group such as Yak, Family Planning Victoria (FPV) recognises that same-sex attracted young people are often socially isolated, and limited in their opportunities to safely meet other young people. We also note that the opportunities that these young people have to access important information regarding their health, particularly their sexual health, are limited, and that their health often suffers as a result. We understand that many young people experience negative reactions from the people around them regarding their sexual orientation, and that, without support, this can lead to low self esteem and depression. Yak is an attempt to challenge these difficulties by offering affirmation to same-sex attracted young people, and contact with peers in a safe environment.

Enabling individuals to feel positive about their sexuality within their own experiences of culture and family will always be a major component of group work with gay, lesbian and bisexual young people. It is not the role of group facilitators to decide for group members when they should come out, but to support them when and if they choose to do so.

OTHER GROUPS FOR SAME SEX ATTRACTED YOUNG PEOPLE

There are several groups other than Yak offering social support to same-sex attracted young people. Some of these have developed from collaborations between Family Planning Victoria and other organisations, such as the City of Knox Youth Services, the Shire of Nillumbik Youth Services, and Cutting Edge Youth Services in Shepparton.

The Action Centre can provide referrals to these groups, and others in many parts of Victoria.

OTHER SERVICES

In recognition of the many personal difficulties that young same-sex attracted people may face, Family Planning Victoria offers one-to-one work as well as the opportunity to participate in groups. This work may involve formal counselling sessions, or informal information sessions, telephone support and referrals.

Referral to other agencies or workers within the young person’s own community for needs other than those relating to sexuality may be appropriate.

FPV provides consultation on issues around working with same sex attracted young people to teachers, health care workers, and youth and social workers. This maximises the opportunities the organisation has to support the sexual health needs of this marginalised group.

We also work with parents of these young people, offering information, support, and opportunities to meet with other parents. Parents can play a key role in helping their child to feel positive about their sexual identity and to find safe, supportive environments to meet with other young people.

We work with schools and youth agencies to enhance their support for same-sex attracted young people. This can involve professional development, networking opportunities and resource provision.

Our work with same-sex attracted young people takes a community development focus, encouraging and supporting local communities to create safer environments for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and questioning young people.