The Provincial Youth Ambassador Program (PYAP) brought together 2SLGBTQ+ youth from across the province to increase 2SLGBTQ+ programming and supports in their local regions, strengthen leadership skills, and build networks amongst 2SLGBTQ+ youth. PYAP strove towards building communities that are not only safe and inclusive of 2SLGBTQ+ youth, but also free from systemic barriers and violence.
PYAP 2019-2020 Projects
In 2019, PYAP launched 2 youth-made zines:
- Navigating Rural Landscapes as 2SLGBTQ+ Youth: Grey/Bruce Collaborative Zine
- Circle of Belonging:Letters of Love from Northern 2SLGBTQ+ Youth
If you’re interested in receiving a copy of the Navigating Rural Landscapes zine, you can email us at info@youthline.ca You can buy a physical copy of the Circle of Belonging Zine on our Square shop.
Summary Report & Snapshots We’re Here: 2SLGBTQ+ Youth across Ontario Assert Needs and Experiences
LGBT YouthLine’s Provincial Youth Ambassador Project (PYAP) brought together 18 2SLGBTQ+ Youth Ambassadors from across Ontario to lead an assessment about the experiences and needs of 2SLGBTQ+ youth in Ontario.
Check out the Summary Report and 5 Snapshot Reports.
After much anticipation, PYAP announced the release of “Do Better: 2SLGBTQ+ Youth Recommendations for Change in Ontario.” This report draws from LGBT YouthLine’s Needs Assessment, “We’re Here: 2SLGBTQ+ Youth across Ontario Assert Needs and Experiences,” where almost 1,200 2SLGBTQ+ youth from across Ontario shared their experiences, dreams, and demands for change.
The report details seven recommendations calling on organizations, government, service providers, educators, health care professionals, and community leaders in Ontario to #DoBetter to support 2SLGBTQ+ youth in Ontario. Click here for more details about each of these recommendations and how you can take action.
The Affirmation Project Card Deck
PYAP’s 2020 North East cohort started The Affirmation Project because communities in the North are widespread and occasionally isolated. They wanted to address those feelings of isolation and not having community by creating something tangible that could easily be given out – a reminder to 2SLGBTQ+ youth that they are not alone and that they are loved. The cohort created a survey to collect affirmations from North Eastern (Ontario) 2SLGBTQ+ youth, which were then printed into cards to form a deck for 2SLGBTQ+ youth. This project serves as a tangible reminder that 2SLGBTQ+ youth are not alone.
You can either:
- Print and share single cards (or the whole deck!) by accessing a digital copy
- Purchase professionally printed copies of the entire deck on our Square shop
PYAP 2020-2021 Projects
Youth Ambassadors Community Projects:
Black 2SLGBTQ+ Youth Group
Malek, one of our 2019 Youth Ambassadors, ran a Black-only online space to foster connections between Black 2SLGBTQ+ youth in Ontario, and share artistic and educational resources. This series of sessions aimed to engage Black 2SLGBTQ+ youth in the critical analysis of media (e.g. TV shows, books, poems, etc.), as well as participate in fun recreational activities.
We’re Here for You
Abbey Lee worked on a project titled “We’re Here… For You,” aimed to provide 2SLGBTQ+ youth with community, affirmation, education, and resource sharing. The videos from this project are available to watch on LGBT YouthLine’s YouTube channel.
The Prism Zine
The Prism Zine is a collaborative art zine focusing on the experiences of 2SLGBTQ+ youth in Brantford, Brant, and Six Nations of the Grand River. Youth submitted pieces based on their interpretation of the Pride flag’s colours’ meanings: red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunshine, green for nature, blue for magic, and purple for spirit.
Destiny Pitters, the Youth Ambassador of PYAP 2020 who led the project and designed the zine, shared her thoughts on why she wanted to create The Prism Zine:
When I had learned about the flag’s symbolism myself, I knew it could make for a great art project that showcases and celebrates how 2SLGBTQ+ folks experience these things in our day-to-day lives, and I’m so happy the youth got the chance to do just that!
You can view and download:
The original version of the zine with a black background
A print-friendly version with a white background
PYAP 2021-2022 Projects
From December 2021 to March 2022, PYAP ran dedicated Healing Spaces exclusive to 2SLGBTQ+ Black and Indigenous youth in Ontario. This initiative offered the Youth Ambassadors in these pods the opportunity to engage each other in holistic conversations and activities centered on healing and the intersections of race, indigeneity, sexuality and gender.
Workshops included: somatic healing/meditation arts-based activities conversations on decolonization preparing bundle items (for the Indigenous group*) These weekly sessions were facilitated by Black and/or Indigenous community organizers and leaders, and culminated in the creation of a collaborative art zine to commemorate the YAs’ time spent together and the learnings they took away. You can read it here!
Affirm, Honour, Express
Affirm, Honour, Express was created to highlight the many ways that 2SLGBTQ+ youth affirm, honour, and express their individual identities when they do not feel safe to be out. Submissions to the zine were open to all 2SLGBTQ+ youth in Ontario. View the zine here or grab a physical copy on our Square shop.
The Healing Space Zine
The Healing Space Zine was created to prioritize 2SLGBTQ+ Black and Indigenous youth who have faced increased isolation due to the pandemic. Through these Healing Spaces, we helped reconnect participants to their culture and heritage while decolonizing gender and sexuality. The pieces created for this zine are reflective of participants healing journeys, dreams, and hopes for a decolonized future. View the zine here or grab a physical copy on our Square shop.
PYAP 2022-2023
The 2022-2023 cohort of Youth Ambassadors created three podcasts, by and for 2SLGBTQ+ youth in Ontario. All podcasts are available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts! Read on for more information about each podcast.
3 Chaotic Queers
Do you ever find yourself mulling over the longterm impacts of living through COVID-19 (and the downfall of late-stage capitalism) as a young and ‘openly’ queer/trans person? If it sounds like a lot to unpack, it’s because it is… So let’s unpack it together. Introducing , 3 Chaotic Queers! ? Join Rabia (she/them), Nicole (she/them), & Sydney (they/her) discuss what it means to be queer in today’s society and why they’re ready to burn this capitalistic sh*tshow to the ground… Listen to the episodes here
*CWs* Please note this content is intended for audiences 16+ and may contain mature discussions that are not suitable for younger individuals. Mentions of suicidality, drug use, acts of intolerance/violence targeted at 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, and more will occur throughout.
Nourishing Our Roots
What does it mean to have a wellness practice? How do you know what is the right practice that connects with your inner self? And how do these efforts connect to decolonization and affirmation for the 2SLGBTQ+ community?
These questions represent only a few that Nourishing Our Roots sets out to answer. Nourishing Our Roots is a podcast that explores wellness practices in an effort to promote healing for racialized and Indigenous 2SLGBTQ+ folks. With a holistic approach, hosts Grace and Ashiana speak with guests about four pillars of wellness through a decolonial lens.
This season features discussion and activities around themes of spirituality, art, embodied practices, and sexual health. This podcast is a response to YouthLine’s Do Better report, featuring 7 recommendations by 2SLGBTQ+ youth in Ontario for more inclusive and effective ways to service their community.
Nourishing Our Roots is grounded by the belief that 2SQTBIPOC deserve wellness services and tools that are anchored in decolonization, cultural relevance and gender and sexual affirmation.
Nourishing our Roots Credits:
Ashiana Ismail, Grace Guillame – Creators & Hosts
Grace Guillame – Music
Tahmina Giasi – Logo art
kumari giles – Consultation
From Peers to Queers
From compelling interviews to candid conversations and even a fictional series, this podcast covers everything and anything on the minds of 2SLGBTQ+ youth.
*CWs* Please note this content is intended for audiences 16+ and may contain mature discussions that are not suitable for younger individuals. Mentions of suicidality, family rejection, drug use, acts of intolerance/violence targeted at 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, and more will occur throughout.
