UK’s Stonewall Housing, the Provider of Safe Shelter, Becomes a Waking Dream for the Queer Community
P icture this scenario. A gay man in his 20s felt confused and was in denial about his gender identity. At the same time, he had a hard time dealing with the loss of his mother. He felt alone and was desperately looking for a safe place to escape the hurtful judgment of people around him. He found the courage to reach out on the Stonewall Housing website for help. When they responded, he felt a miracle had happened and that he finally belonged to a community that truly understood him as a gay man. The ability of Stonewall Housing’s brand, who attentively listened, understood, and provided a warm shelter away from the fear of being someone he was not, gave him a sense of empowerment to heal from what held his identity back. This is just one of the many inspiring stories by a former
service user that inspires Stonewall Housing to provide a warm shelter to the LGBTQ+ community who feel insecure about their truths in their homes. TrooRa Magazine speaks to Claire Linacre-Hilton, Director of Development, as she shares her views about her experience running Stonewall Housing with her amazing team. SHIFTING THE QUEER STRUGGLES When basic needs, like a safe place at home, are compromised, that unsettling feeling of nowhere to go can lead to disturbing mental health issues. Hence, since 1983, Stonewall Housing has become a waking dream for the homeless and helpless LGBTQ+ individuals and shines the light on the importance of a safer place for the queer community. To date, Stonewall Housing, the charity community based in London, has assisted over 40,000 marginalized and vulnerable LGBTQ+ people in reclaiming inclusion & diversity for the livelihood of the larger community in the UK.
“So many people don’t realize that LGBTQ+ people are disproportionately affected by homelessness; nearly one in five LGBTQ+ people experience homelessness at some point in their lives.” There is a need to dig deeper to understand issues facing LGBTQ+ communities, like why some parents might reject a gay child or how domestic violence can present differently in same-sex couples compared to heterosexual couples. Capitalizing on the strengths and superpowers of compassion and understanding, Stonewall Housing builds connections with their service users regarding their mental health challenges so they can help address their housing and homelessness concerns. The leaders of this charity organization can see this through the perspective of a queer lens. This is because most of them are LGBTQ+ themselves and have experienced homelessness as a consequence of society's discrimination.
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