About the project
Answering pressing questions about LGBTQI+ youth futures in turbulent times
Many young LGBTQI+ people across Europe are growing up in a period of profound turbulence, with the rise of populist anti-LGBTQ+ / anti-gender political movements, the climate crisis and growing economic uncertainty. This study of LGBTQI+ youth wellbeing will explore how queer young adults ‘come of age’, build networks of resilience and resistance, and plan for their futures in an era of multiple forms of crisis.
LGBTQI+ youth experience significant inequalities in wellbeing
Despite moves towards equality, LGBTQI+ people from across Europe continue to face discrimination and stigma. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex (LGBTQI+) people experience significant inequalities in wellbeing, reporting lower levels of life satisfaction. These inequalities are particularly pronounced for young adults, yet LGBTQI+ youth are often neglected in wellbeing research.
A participatory approach that centres queer youth voices
In our study we are setting out to explore how policy makers can best tackle these inequalities by learning from the strategies and visions developed by LGBTQI+ youth themselves. Our research uses many different kinds of creative methods to centre the voices of LGBTQI+ young adults, ensuring that they are able to define what wellbeing means to them. The project will bring queer young adults together to build collective visions for a future in which queer youth can flourish. The research has a participatory ethos, which means we are working with queer youth citizens, NGOs, and charities throughout the project, from research design, data collection, to working together on writing outputs and public engagement.
Funding and Support
This project has been generously supported by CHANSE (Collaboration of Humanities and Social Sciences in Europe), and NORFACE (New Opportunities for Research Funding Agency Cooperation in Europe), with national funding provided by the Estonian Research Council, Swiss National Science Foundation , UKRI Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), FORTE: Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, and the National Science Centre Poland.