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I want to do an ad that mimics and references the old ads about how you shouldn't buy a pet just for Christmas. I want to highlight that a child isn't just a baby who will grow up and become a mini version of one of their parents. I want to point out that they are their own human and one that a parent will be responsible for life. That just because a child might not grow into what that parent had envision that they're a still a family member.

I want to point this out by showing children being abandoned for ridiculous reasons like growing up too tall, or being born for having the wrong hair colour.
Then I want to reshow the scenario but with the child as a queer youth and how the situation are the same and it's just as ridiculous to abandon a kid for being queer as it is for it being born with brown eyes instead of blue.

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Robinson, BA 2018, ‘Conditional Families and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Youth Homelessness: Gender, Sexuality, Family Instability, and Rejection’, Journal of Marriage and Family, vol. 80, no. 2, pp. 383–396.

This journal speaks about how research regarding youth homelessness often portray family rejection as a main reason for homelessness. It offers a counter argument and a look into how the way these studies are conducted actually influence the end result. This study goes on to talk about how it is often multiple factors that can cause strain within a family that results in the instability that ends in homelessness.

This particular article is relevant in considering that you can’t just take a child’s queer identity as the only factor that might result in a child leaving or being kicked out of home. That fixing one factor is not going to fix the rest.

Staller, KM 2010, ‘Review Essay: Hidden in Plain Sight: Runaway and Homeless Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Youth’, Qualitative Social Work, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 551–553.

The article is review on a singular book called ‘Kicked Out’ a compilation of stories from queer youths who experienced homelessness and exclusions from their family as a direct result of their sexual or gender identity.

I wish I could have sourced something from the actual book itself rather than reviews as I believe the first hand stories would have been of great benefit to how one should and more importantly should not depict queer youth in media.

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Mind map and brainstorm online with Bubbl.us! Create colorful mind maps to print or share with others. Millions of people are using Bubbl.us worldwide to generate ideas, map out processes and create presentations.

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This 17th May is #IDAHOBIT International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia & Transphobia. That's why our monthly StreetFunder campaign is supporting Open Doors Youth Service Inc, a safe space and lifeline for LGBTI young people in Brisbane.

To shine a light on the experiences of young LGBTI people we dove into the research and had a chat with Open Doors General Manager Chris Pickard.
LGBTI youth are more likely to experience homelessness.
The big data sets on homelessness have so far excluded sexual orientation and to fill this gap new research has been investigating the issue. A recent study found that LGBT people are at least twice as likely as their heterosexual peers to experience homelessness and are more likely to experience homelessness at a younger age.

Sadly the main reason cited for homelessness among queer youth is 'running away' due to rejection and fear of reprisal or being kicked out of home. When forced out of the family home, the majority of these young people end up couch surfing, rough sleeping or in boarding houses, all of which can be not only precarious but dangerous.

This is why Open Doors focuses a lot of its efforts on educating schools, health services and families. Chris says that for many parents the biggest issue is simply lack of understanding of what their child is going through. "Some basic education can go a long way to creating a safe, accepting environment at home."
LGBTI youth are at a higher risk of alcohol or drug abuse, and suicide.
Amid the ugly debates around the Same Sex Marriage vote, we forgot that there were young people listening and hearing the message that they are not normal, accepted, or safe.

This type of messaging is part of the reason why LGBTI youth and those who don't 'fit-in' with rigid social ideas about gender are more likely to attempt suicide and to develop substance abuse issues than heterosexual peers. A new study of young people aged 16-to-25 found that 43% of LGBTI people were at high risk of dying by suicide, compared to 23% of heterosexual people.

The reasons for this boil down to what psychologists call " minority stress " - the experience of rejection, bullying, discrimination and prejudice. When simply being you become a cause of potential harm from others, young LGBT people turn to risky means to cope or to give up altogether.

It shouldn't be surprising to learn that family acceptance and inclusive school and work environments have the power to save lives. Educating communities and families is central to suicide prevention, and when in crisis, Open Doors also step in to support young people who are at especially high risk.
LGBT youth have poorer mental health and are more likely to attempt suicide
Given that LGBT youth are more likely to experience violence, discrimination and homelessness it shouldn't be much of a surprise that this trauma is not good for their mental health.

About 50% of LGBT youth experience anxiety compared to 39% of their heterosexual peers, and about 30% experience bipolar or PTSD, which affects 9% and 17% of their peers respectively.

All of these numbers stack up to clear evidence that social norms, structures and dynamics at home, school, work and out in public spaces are dangerous for LGBTI youth.
Trans and non-gender-conforming young people are most at risk.
Chris says that transgender and gender diverse young people are at higher risks of finding themselves homeless, and are at high risk of violence, theft, and bullying in most crisis accommodation setups: "In terms of safe housing for trans and gender diverse young people, there is next to nothing. We have two safe referral points and if there are no free beds it is often safer for us to prepare them to sleep rough until something becomes available.

Sadly that experience is also occurring within homelessness services traditional options - like boarding houses, emergency accommodation or crisis centres - which are dangerous places for LGBTI people. While outright discrimination has been reported, even a simple lack of understanding can place transgender clients at risk. Trans women are at a high risk of violent assault when forced into male-only boarding houses.

In the rental market, discrimination is standard, with visibly non-conforming young people competing with heterosexual, high earning candidates for a dwindling supply of affordable housing.
Acceptance and safer spaces save lives
During the Same Sex Marriage campaign, LGBTQ services experienced a surge in demand for their services. Major advocacy organisations believe the successful Yes vote will halve the number of LGBT suicides. They have cause to hope because this has happened across US states that have legalised same-sex marriage.

That is a big hint that change does not exclusively start at home - the big stuff matters too. The tone of our public discourse sets the standard for what happens at home, and in our schools. What happens in those spaces determines whether a young LGBTI person feels safe, accepted and able to succeed - or put down with bullying, violence and discrimination. Genuine equality is more than wedding vows, it is the right to live free from violence and harassment, and to have a safe place to call home.
There is something you can do
There is a long way to go to create a safe environment for LGBTI people, and youth in particular. More specialist services that understand their specific needs and experiences is a big step in the right direction. There are few specialist homelessness services for LGBTI youth, and Open Doors is leading the way, in Brisbane. While they do all the hard stuff, the simple act of providing a safe space is often enough to change a young person's journey.

"Many young people will have never met another queer person, let alone been in a room full of people who also identify that way. For their entire life they've been an outsider, confused and excluded. When they come to us, you can see the change in the way they carry themselves with a new confidence. To be part of a community, feel welcomed and not alone. It's huge." - Chris
Here are some actions you can take if you want to support vulnerable LGBTI young people.
Support Open Doors by donating to our StreetFunder campaign

Support the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia here.

Be a positive voice for inclusion in your homes, schools, and workplaces.

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LGBTI youth are more likely to experience homelessness.

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This 17th May is #IDAHOBIT International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia & Transphobia. That's why our monthly StreetFunder campaign is supporting Open Doors Youth Service Inc, a safe space and lifeline for LGBTI young people in Brisbane. To shine a light on the experiences of young LGBTI people we dove into the research and had a chat with Open Doors General Manager Chris Pickard.

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How student-led campaigns are driving the fight.

When I was Queer Officer at the University of New South Wales in 2014, our Queer Collective discovered a history of people discreetly living in the space over the summer break and during semester. Some had been kicked out of home; some had been evicted by a dodgy landlord. This was an issue that arose virtually every year since the space was set up.

Almost every time this occurred, those using the space for accommodation went to great lengths to conceal it, variously out of politeness to other users, a desire not to burden the officers, and often also out of fears they'd be harassed or kicked out of the space (and worse, outed as being homeless).

We discovered a history of people discreetly living in the (queer) space over the summer break and during semester.

The overwhelming lesson to learn from these experiences was that there just wasn't any trust in either their elected representatives, UNSW staff or the LGBTQIA+ community on campus for them to seek help or be open about their situation.

In response, our collective and student union launched a successful campaign to establish crisis accommodation on campus for those in need. Students can access rooms for up to two weeks, with options to extend, and get fast access to interest-free emergency loans alongside counselling, psychological and financial support services.

Despite successes like these at UNSW and other campuses, there's still a long way to go. Thankfully, students across the country are already taking the first steps.
What we know about queer homelessness in Australia
Despite years of students calling for national data on LGBTQIA+ homeless, none currently exist. The snapshots of data we do have are telling: The Australian Human Rights Council estimates that one in four homeless youth in NSW identifies as gay or lesbian, while 17% of Brisbane Youth Service clients identified as queer in 2016. This data reveals a vastly disproportionate rate of homelessness among LGBTQIA+ youth. These figures don't even touch upon the experiences of senior members of the queer community, many of whom have been forced to 'go back into the closet' to live in retirement homes, or face discrimination and bullying from new and unaccepting communities.

Since that data was gathered, things haven't gotten much better. Political attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community have continued, alongside systemic thrashing of welfare recipients.

An example of this is the dissolution of the Safe Schools program in some states, and the constant attacks it faces generally, which heightens the risks of young queer people facing discrimination, bullying and a lack of access to resources that will help them escape abusive situations. It ultimately means that more of our youth are going to end up on the streets with no idea of who to turn to or where to go.
It's not all doom and gloom
This year, AQSN plans to launch an Ending Queer Youth Homelessness portal, providing information on community and campus-based resources for those in need, as well as activist kits to kickstart local campaigns. As part of this rollout, AQSN aims to provide every campus with posters and booklets designed to reduce the stigma surrounding the issue.

Student representatives are also planning to draw attention to the issue on campuses across the country for International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, on May 17. Natrydð Sigurthur, President of the University of South Australia's Rainbow Club, says "queer youth are largely overlooked by services which fail to consider their unique needs." Unlike many campuses, the University of South Australia has neither a queer space, a paid LGBTQIA+ student representative nor an ally network.

The absence of these vital resources can make it even harder for queer students and staff who face crisis living situations or queerphobia to access support. This can especially be an issue for smaller and regional campuses and those without properly funded student unions.
There's still much more that has to be done
At UNSW, we're lucky to have a good system of services provided through the student union and the university itself. Despite this, most students don't have any idea these services exist. Life-changing resources are often hidden for fears of being overwhelmed by demand for limited resources; a factor which reveals just how wide-reaching these issues are.

Universities and governments must be willing to provide more funding to student unions so that those in need can access services to help them get back on track with their lives and studies.

The queer community should harness the momentum of the marriage equality campaign and direct it into campaigns to reinstate and expand Safe Schools, to provide LGBTQIA+ friendly emergency accommodation and crisis support resources and to stamp out queerphobia in retirement homes and wherever it rears its head.

But it also means lending our strength to wider campaigns for a serious expansion of social housing, greater protections against dodgy landlords and for a compassionate welfare system that doesn't criminalise and victimise people doing it tough.

Universities and governments must be willing to provide more funding to student unions so that those in need can access services to help them get back on track with their lives and studies. Often overlooked is the fact that, alongside rising poverty and costs of living, student unions have either had their funding decimated or dissolved entirely thanks to the Howard Government's removal of Universal Student Unionism in 2005.

Student unions across the world are vital when it comes to providing support for the most vulnerable in society, whether that's through mass movements or the provision of frontline services. Yet no political party has seriously taken up the campaign to reinstate the funding lost through Howard's attack.

In the wake of the ever-increasing attacks on higher education, students and vulnerable people generally, it's so important that we mount a strong campaign to revitalise student unions.

None of this can be achieved if there's a lack of interest in starting these campaigns. Members of queer communities on campuses and throughout society have to take a serious look at ourselves in the wake of our successful fight for marriage equality last year and think sincerely about the change we can achieve when we give it our all.

Follow the Victorian Public Housing Defence Network for information on their upcoming actions.
Dylan Lloyd is a fifth-year Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice/Bachelor of Laws student at the University of New South Wales. Dylan was Queer Officer for UNSW (2014), NSW State Queer Officer for NUS (2015) and Co-convener for AQSN (2015).
Et Cetera on Facebook

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In April, the ABC exposed the ousting of a resident at ANU's Ursula Hall after sustained homophobic bullying and discrimination. As a queer activist this broke my heart, but it wasn't at all surprising. With rising poverty and costs of living, stories such as these are increasingly common.

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Dogs Are For Life, Not Just For Christmas | UNILAD - Original Documentary

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RSPCA release tear-jerking Christmas advert

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Festive ad with a difference 🐶🎄 A dog is for life, not just for Christmas® | Dogs Trust

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One: Summarise the message you wish to promote

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One: Summarise the message you wish to promote

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I want to bring awareness to the problem of Queer Homelessness, especially for youth and how they are often abandoned by their families because of something they can no control or should have to deny about themselves.

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Below you can find research into other ad campaigns regarding youth homelessness, concentrating on queer youth specifically.

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Two: Identify and profile your target audience

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Two: Identify and profile your target audience

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Unfortunately those who would choose to abandon a child because of a sexual or gender identity aren't likely to be affected by any message we put out.

The target audience for the promotion video will largely be people in a position to help in any capacity but the specific group we want to really hit will be parents; current and potential.

Like the animal adoption ads we are going to mimic. We want people to really think about how they plan to start a family and how they might tackle the idea of their child not being a heterosexual cisgender person.

Do they want to consider perhaps how they want to expand their family is a consideration; fostering or adopting a child is after all another consideration.

While it is important that the message also resonate and communicate to a queer and youth audience as well. It is most important to get the message out to parents who have the power to not repeat mistakes made by others and educate themselves on what they can do to help.

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Personal

1. Nu Avenue Artist Page/Patreon

Causes

1. Anti Smoking

2. Anti Bullying

3. Anti Littering

4. Anti Speeding

5. Drink Driving

6. Gender Equality

7. Wage Gap

8. Queer Equality

9. Bisexual Awareness

10. Asexual Awareness

11. Transexual Awareness

12. Pansexual Awareness

13. Queer Homelessness

14. Animal Adoption

15. Catch & Release Program

16. Animal Registration

17. GAPSA

18. The Royal Society for the Blind

19. Anti Racism

20. Anti Terrorism

21. Anti Clive Palmer's Ads

22. Anti Domestic Abuse

23. Anti Emotional Abuse

24. Pro Arts Programs

25. Anti-Domestic Violence

26. Better Renting

27. Oxfam Second Hand Bookshop

28. Bushfire Relief

29. Wildlife Rescue

30. Australian Unions

31. Adelaide City Library

Events

1. AVCon

2. Supanova

3. Thai Cultural Festival

4. Mega Toy Fair

5. Adelaide Festival

6. Fringe Festival

7. Womad Festival

8. Nutellapalooza

9. POPCA - Anime Trash & Treasure

10. Adelaide 500

11. Sexpo

12. Tasting Australia

13. Adelaide Cabaret Festival

14. SALA

15. Adelaide Film Festival

16. Feast Festival

17. OZAsia Festival

18. Big Day Out

19. Coachella

20. San Diego Comic Con

Brands

1. Marvel

2. DC Comics

3. Lily Bloom Bags

4. We Are Robots

5. Ryo's Noodles

6. Level Up Dice

7. Critical Role

8. The Lost Forests

9. Infinite Worlds Tattoos

10. Witchbeam Games

11. Unpacking

12. Hungry Hungry Hippos GameBoard Cafe

13. Nanowrimo

14. 2Spot Studios

15. Moonlight Cinema

16. Daisuke

17. Shintokyo

18. Feminist Frequency

19. Rusty Quill Gaming

Just Random Things I Like

1. Secondhand Books

2. Op Shops

3. Tattoos

4. Art

5. Table Top Roleplaying

6. The Magnus Archives

7. DWRP

8. BJD

9. Armoury/Forgery

10. Indie Video Games

11. Vinyl Toys

12. Welcome To Nightvale

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1. Record your initial thoughts and feelings about the course and this task. 

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1. Record your initial thoughts and feelings about the course and this task. 