We read often about poverty affecting demographics such as children and seniors, but one group that isn’t addressed nearly as much as it should be is the queer and trans community. People who identify as LGBTQ deal with high levels of poverty and marginalization as well — for example, one in four queer and trans youth are forced out of their homes due to severe family conflict. Queer and trans youth are also twice as likely to live in unstable housing, moving three or more times in a year.
The BC Poverty Reduction Coalition has compiled a fact sheet detailing other statistics, as well as created a short video focusing on a local youth in Surrey dealing with these very issues. Visit the website for more.