Located at 1575 Atateken Street in Montreal, the space is run by the Coalition of LGBTQ+ Youth Groups and is used by multiple organizations and charities catering to the specific needs of LGBTQ+ youth.
Special collaboration: Alex Simon is an American-born and Montreal-based student interested in LGBTQ+ and trans realities. They themselves being non-binary, they proposed the idea to GrS Montreal of writing articles on their blog TransAvenue.
In these uncertain times, LGBTQ+ youth can feel more isolated than ever. Resources for these marginalized individuals exist in and around the Montreal area, but sometimes are not necessarily known by their target audience. L’Asterisk, a safe space located in the Gay Village, is one of these resources. Located at 1575 Atateken Street in Montreal, the space is run by the Coalition of LGBTQ+ Youth Groups and is used by multiple organizations and charities catering to the specific needs of LGBTQ+ youth. These organizations include Project 10, Jeunesse Lambda and Alterheros.
Project 10 is a multilingual resource run for and by LGBTQ+ youth between the ages of 14 and 25 in the Montreal area. They host weekly hangouts for youth, active listening, and accompaniment services, as well as provide safer sex and injection materials. They collaborate with Jeunesse Lambda on acquiring gender affirming gear for trans and non-binary youth. They also host a camp for queer and trans youth during he summer with a variety of activities. Although in-person hangouts are cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic, they continue to host weekly meetings online and hold listening services to those who need it.
Jeunesse Lambda is a bilingual resource run for and by LGBTQ+ youth between the ages of 14 and 25 in the Montreal area. They host weekly hangouts for youth, active listening, and accompaniment services, as well as provide safer sex and injection materials. They collaborate with Project 10 on acquiring gender affirming gear for trans and non-binary youth. As do the other organizations in l’Asterisk, Jeunesse Lambda also facilitates kiosks at secondary and post-secondary institutions. During the pandemic, Jeunesse Lambda is not holding their weekly hangouts in person. However, they will continue providing food and entertainment for youth by offering a food delivery service on a weekly basis, as well as gift cards for grocery stores and/or entertainment subscriptions.
Alterheros is both an online and in-person resource directed towards neurodivergent LGBTQ+ youth between the ages of 14 and 30 in the Montreal area. Their website offers the “Ask Us Your Question!” section, which allows anyone to anonymously inquire about subjects like coming out, gender identity, sexual health, and other available resources in the region. They also host weekly in-person hangouts for neurodivergent LGBTQ+ youth. Although they are no longer in-person during the health crisis, they are holding Zoom meetings weekly for youth to continue to socialize with each other.
Some services are shared by several of these organizations such as the gender gear program, the clothes donation area within the space, supporting the Jeunes Queer Youth program that gives access to funding and mentorship for youth projects, and educating the public through kiosks and workshops. While their services may not look the same for the time being, they continue to offer adapted services to the youth who need it, across the city, region, and province.
