P.E.I. Queer Youth Collective launching program

Meetings begin Sept. 4 at youth engagement centre

The initiation of the P.E.I. Queer Youth Collective Summerside Chapter is just around the corner organizers of the program area excited for the launch. Program director, Angele DesRoches, with the P.E.I. PEERS Alliance is looking forward to the popular program finding a home in Summerside. “The P.E.I. Queer Youth Collective, formerly the LGBTQ+ youth group, launched in 2016 in Charlottetown. It started with monthly two-hour meetings. That quickly changed to bi-weekly two-hour meeting. Now the group provides support to about 19 youth between the ages of 12 and 18.” The group has three mandates: reduction of social isolation of LGBTQ+ youth, increase resiliency among youth participants by teaching positive behaviours, actions and through Talk It Out sessions, and lastly increase access to relevant health and wellness tools and resources for LGBTQ+ youth. “So, we get together supplies like safer sex information, coming-out information, safe-sex protection, depression and mental health resource information, and access to the P.E.I. transgender network,” explained DesRoches. The Summerside chapter of the P.E.I. Queer Youth Collective will meet monthly on the first Tuesday of each month beginning on Sept. 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Credit Union Youth Engagement Centre, operated by the Boys & Girls Club of Summerside. The program will be led by DesRoches, a Summerside native, and five community volunteers. “We’re super stoked about this coming to Summerside. We’ve had kids come from this city, Tignish, Kensington to Charlottetown in order to participate, but that can be really hard on the parents and youth. With it only being in one location, it also limited the amount of youth we were able to reach. The more places on the Island that have this program the more LGBTQ+ youth, questioning youth and LGBTQ+ allies we’ll be able to reach. “I grew up in Summerside, so I can recognize what growing up in an area that doesn’t have a safe space for the young LGBTQ+ can mean to people.” The P.E.I. Queer Youth Collective is the only community based social support initiative of the Island.

MILLICENT MCKAY/JOURNAL PIONEER Cybelle Rieber, executive director of the P.E.I. PEERS Alliance, left, P.E.I. Queer Youth Collective Summerside Chapter sponsor Jamie Niessen of TELUS Atlantic Canada Community Board, John Robinson of the Community Foundation of P.E.I., sponsor of the Summerside chapter, Angele DesRoches, program director of the P.E.I. PEERS Alliance, and Janet Bradshaw community volunteer.