Our Mission
The Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line is a service provided for youth, by youth that affirms the experiences and aspirations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, 2-spirited, queer and questioning youth in Ontario. We are queer-positive and non-judgmental, and...
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Our Mission
The Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line is a service provided for youth, by youth that affirms the experiences and aspirations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, 2-spirited, queer and questioning youth in Ontario. We are queer-positive and non-judgmental, and provide confidential peer support through telephone listening, information and referral services, and through complementary outreach. By reflecting our diverse cultures, abilities and experiences and celebrating our potentials, we seek to create an empowering community of queer youth across Ontario.

Our Values
In all aspects of our work and throughout the organization, as we pursue our mission, we live by the values listed below. Together, they provide a picture of who we are and how we want to be:

Caller-centred and Non-judgmental
Youth Line callers know their own experiences best and are able to make choices that are right for them. We offer information to callers to support them in making informed choices. We strive to understand the experiences of queer youth in society and recognize that it often includes oppression based on sexual identity, age, gender, race, ethnicity, class, religion, ability and other factors. We offer support, not advice: affirmation, not judgment.

Respectful and Inclusive
We all have something to contribute. Everyone involved in the Youth Line strives to create a climate within the organization where opportunities exist for meaningful participation, the contributions of all individuals are valued, information is shared and diversity of opinion is valued. We believe in decision-making that is as open and inclusive as possible, leadership that is shared and mutual accountability among volunteers and staff.

Committed to Confidentiality
In all aspects of our work, we are guided by the need to maintain the confidentiality of personal information and we respect the caller’s anonymity.

Embracing Diversity
We strive to create an organization that reflects and embraces the diversity of our communities. This is reflected throughout the organization in our phone line service, our work with other organizations and how we work with each other.

Sex-positive
We support callers in making self-directed, informed choices about sex and sexuality. We affirm peoples right to choose how to define their sexuality, how to express it and with whom.

Building a Learning Community
We believe it is the right and responsibility of each person involved in our organization to contribute to the development of the Youth Line as a community of people learning together. We encourage each other to develop new skills and awareness, we share knowledge with each other and we celebrate our strengths and successes.

Collaborating, Networking and Partnering
We believe the Youth Line is an important part of a larger collection of services for youth and must work, as much as possible, in collaboration with other organizations. We work with others, and share resources, to expand the communities capacity to serve queer youth and to enable us to achieve our mission as efficiently and effectively as possible.
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The Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line is a toll-free Ontario-wide peer-support phone line for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, 2-spirited, queer and questioning young people. The Youth Line also provides online peer-support through the online forum and email response. In the...
[ view more ]

The Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line is a toll-free Ontario-wide peer-support phone line for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, 2-spirited, queer and questioning young people. The Youth Line also provides online peer-support through the online forum and email response. In the Greater Toronto Area, speakers and workshops can be requested.

The Youth Line grew out of discussions in May 1993 among youth members of a then forming national lesbian and gay rights group. Over the next year they developed the concept of a toll-free phone line to assist lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and two-spirited young people across Ontario. It was agreed that isolation and lack of information are tremendous barriers facing youth. The group believed that a peer based phone support line would alleviate the loneliness felt by queer youth, would help to prevent youth from making self-destructive choices because of their overwhelming isolation and would affirm youth’s sexual identity.

The first organizing meeting of the Youth Line was held in June 1993, and included representatives from other queer youth organizations in Toronto. Through the hard work of volunteers and the support and endorsement of community agencies including the Kid’s Help Phone, the Children’s Aid Society of Metropolitan Toronto and Distress Centres Ontario, the phone lines opened on May 2, 1994. Over the next two years, the service grew to provide peer support and information to over 300 young people per month.

The Youth Line currently has over sixty volunteers, three full-time and two part-time staff. The phone lines are open 4:00pm to 9:30 pm, Sunday through Friday.
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The Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line is a toll-free Ontario-wide peer-support phone line for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, 2-spirited, queer and questioning young people. The Youth Line also provides online peer-support through the online forum and email response. In the...
[ view more ]

The Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line is a toll-free Ontario-wide peer-support phone line for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, 2-spirited, queer and questioning young people. The Youth Line also provides online peer-support through the online forum and email response. In the Greater Toronto Area, speakers and workshops can be requested.

The Youth Line grew out of discussions in May 1993 among youth members of a then forming national lesbian and gay rights group. Over the next year they developed the concept of a toll-free phone line to assist lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and two-spirited young people across Ontario. It was agreed that isolation and lack of information are tremendous barriers facing youth. The group believed that a peer based phone support line would alleviate the loneliness felt by queer youth, would help to prevent youth from making self-destructive choices because of their overwhelming isolation and would affirm youth’s sexual identity.
[ view less ]