STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Mr REPACHOLI (Hunter) (13:47): This year, students in my electorate of Hunter took part in the Raise Our Voice campaign. Today, I want to read a speech from young student Phoenix: I wish to address an urgent issue within our communities: youth homelessness and its relation to the queer community in particular. According to Homelessness Australia, people identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual were twice as likely to experience homelessness as the national average.

For gender-diverse people, this rises to one in five. On average, 20 per cent of transgender people will experience homelessness in their lifetime. LGBTI youth in Australia are often at acute risk of family violence due to their identity.

Queer Australians are forced to leave home for factors they cannot control. As a member of the LGBTI community myself, you hear these stories, you know these people, and, well, it hurts. This is why services like Link2home and Twenty10 are … essential in society.

They protect and shelter those most vulnerable. However, these services remain inaccessible to many, especially in regional and rural Australia. An expansion of these services, supported by local government and councils, is desperately needed, so anyone fleeing domestic violence, queer or otherwise, has a safe space to call home.

Thank you. Thank you, Phoenix. There's nothing more important than a roof over your head.

Keep up the good work, buddy, and I look forward to seeing you soon. Cheers.