‘I turned my scars into strength’: Victoria gets LGBTI homelessness support – The Age

Elvis Martin would have been spared months of pain if he had been supported by appropriate services when he was disowned by his family at 17 for being gay.

The 25-year-old, who lived on the streets of Docklands for almost three months before a long recovery from major depression, has welcomed a state government announcement to fund homelessness support services for lesbian, gay, trans, intersex and queer Victorians.

Housing Minister Richard Wynne will on Sunday announce the program to be jointly run by an LGBTI organisation and specialist homelessness service.

Mr Wynne said dedicated services were needed for the LGBTI community, which is more than twice as likely to experience homelessness than the rest of the population because of discrimination, family rejection and violence.

“Specialist services within the LGBTIQ+ community will give people the help they need fast, to recover and move on from homelessness,” Mr Wynne said.

Mr Martin, whose family lives in a religious country where being gay is punishable with death, said specialised homelessness services could save lives. LGBTI people have a very high suicide rate and Mr Martin said homelessness and poor mental health were often connected.

“When [people] don’t feel comfortable sharing about their sexuality and who they are and what they need, they can’t really get proper support and services,” Mr Martin said.

“That might have taken my life, you know what I mean? Just because I was not able to open up, just because I don’t know if someone will accept me or not, and will people understand me, or not?”

He said many young LGBTI people do not feel comfortable approaching the major homelessness providers, which tend to be religious.