Make Space for Homeless Queers with Hopeful Traders

February in the UK is LGBT History Month so there’s perhaps no better time to look back while thinking of the future for this community. The intersection of sexuality, gender-identity and homelessness – granted, the latter is a temporary state of being rather than an identity – is a status that’s given little attention and care. But it’s caught the attention of Charlie Wright, founder of Hopeful Traders. This clothing line collaborates with artists who are closest to an issue – usually around homelessness and mental health. By creating products that speak to that issue, they shine a light on its realities, as well as fund solutions and support.

Over to Charlie…

Hopeful Traders are supporting the ‘Make Space for Homeless Queers’ campaign by LGBTIQ+ homeless service, The Outside Project, with a new range of products to raise funds and awareness about the lack of appropriate support for homeless LGBTIQ+ people.

Discrimination of LGBTIQ+ people is one of the reasons why they are disproportionately affected by homelessness. This discrimination exists in the very services that are supposed to support homeless people. Lack of understanding of LGBTIQ+ issues further diminishes the adequacy of the support available to LGBTIQ+ people.

“Once in a service, abuse and homophobia, biphobia and/or transphobia can be perpetrated by services themselves, which means some individuals may disengage and leave the service before they are able to start recovery.”

– Homeless Link

 

When most of us think about homelessness, we rarely assess the different kinds of people who become homeless, the complexity of issues that push them to homelessness and the best way to support their varying needs. 

I am someone who grew up thinking that enough donations and funding going to any homeless charities would adequately meet the needs of homeless people. For the 1 in 5 LGBTIQ+ people who experience homelessness in their life, the lack of overall funding to the homeless sector is part of the problem, but not the full extent.

The national membership charity for organisations working directly with people who become homeless in England, Homeless Link, states “Once in a service, abuse and homophobia, biphobia and/or transphobia can be perpetrated by services themselves, which means some individuals may disengage and leave the service before they are able to start recovery.” 

Hopeful Traders are supporting The Outside Project because we believe that too few LGBTIQ+ services are available and that LGBTIQ+ people with lived experience of homelesness are best placed to run them. We believe that the lack of LGBTIQ+ services is causing serious harm to vulnerable people and we support The Outside Project’s call for more LGBTIQ+ services to be created.

The Outside Project is the UK’s first LGBTIQ+ crisis/homeless shelter and community centre. They are an LGBTIQ+ identity responsive service primarily run and founded by queer people with lived experience of homelessness.

In 2020 they launched STAR, a domestic abuse refuge for London’s LGBTIQ+ community, in response to the pandemic. When many services have closed, The Outside Project has remained open, and campaigned as advocates for LGBTIQ+ homeless to be given emergency accommodation during the pandemic. 

“Throughout our work we’ve seen how essential identity responsive services are for people experiencing homelessness. This isn’t just about making spaces available within mainstream services (although that is part of it as well!) but making spaces that are LGBTIQ+ by design; they are run by our community for our community.

People who use our services are experiencing crisis and need spaces which will reflect, recognise and celebrate their identities with an understanding of how our experiences of oppression compound our experiences of homelessness. Society at large has not made space for homeless queers and we have made them ourselves. This campaign calls for people to acknowledge the necessity of these spaces, both within homelessness services but also within public life and to show their support for some of the most marginalised members of our community.”

– Jesse Ashman, The Outside Project

Hopeful Traders collaborated with The Outside Project team to create a range of sustainable apparel and gifts made from organic and recycled materials. The campaign invites everyone to carry the ‘Make Space for Homeless Queers’ message to all their friends, families, colleagues and network. The co-created Info and Actions pack, gives information about how anyone can get involved with the campaign, support LGBTIQ+ homeless people and call for more services designed for vulnerable LGBTIQ+ people.

We have identified actions you can take from home, with your colleagues and whilst shopping for gifts that support and spread the campaign. 100% of profits from the ‘Make Space for Homeless Queers’ collection created by Hopeful Traders go to The Outside Project. Sustainable sweatshirts, Tees and notebooks carry messages of support for the campaign.

Actions that cost nothing include, downloading and printing our ‘Colour your own virtual protest’ sign, joining the virtual protest and following The Outside Project to keep informed. You could also direct resources from your workplace to their cause by considering what support your organisation is well placed to provide. Examples include pro bono legal advice, free skills training, employment opportunities or advocacy support. 

Feeling inspired to affect real change? Discover more: 

• Visit the Hopeful Traders page to browse the collection
• Check out Hopeful Traders’ Info and Actions pack for other ways to support the campaign
• Read Leiho’s guest post about their urgent winter appeal for those without a home
• Get to know Pivot jewellery, another of our amazing social enterprises supporting those experiencing homelessness

Header image courtesy of The Outside Project @lgbtiqoutside