Pendleton Gateway will soon be hosting a new queer youth community from September 30 for people ages nine-21.
Sam Pearson 19, volunteer manager for Queer and Here, originated the idea for a queer youth group in 2023. The group will commence from tomorrow evening at quarter past 5- half 8.
The space is to give likeminded youth a safe space to meet others in the community that they previously may not have known before.
Pearson said: “You get queer kids who are being bullied and being shunned for being who they are, especially in high schools. Going back to my own story, when I was in year nine or ten I was outed as trans by someone who I thought was my friend.
Since this experience, I was like surely this can’t be the expectation of what happens and no one’s there to help deal with it. Ten years since, I have put together this organisation.”
Pearson organises the group alongside college with three other volunteers, all of which are apart of the LGBTQIA+ community. They are self-funded and are looking to recruit new volunteers to help the queer youth in Salford.
When discussing the support available to LGBT youth in Salford, Sam added : “I am aware Salford does have their own provisions but, that only covers a very specific age range and when you leave that age range, you are kind of just alone.”
Sam has now created a space for youth aged 18-21 as well as the younger groups to create a welcoming community.
