On 15 May 2011, Beaconsfield United Church in the West Island of Montreal opened the LGBTQ Youth Centre with the aim of providing a safe and welcoming environment where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning young people can meet up, get to know each other, and generally understand themselves better as queer-identified people.
The Centre is a safe space, which encourages the free exchange of words & ideas. We can’t understand each other (or ourselves) unless we begin with honest & respectful dialogue.
We are located within the Beaconsfield United Church building. We receive support from the church, an Affirming congregation that explicitly welcomes and celebrates LGBT people. However, the Centre itself has no religious affiliation.
All faiths (or lack thereof) are welcome!
Our Mission
We see homophobia in our society. We see the longterm detrimental effect on our young people. We see that no programs or centres exist in the West Island to come to their aid. We see this as an immediate need.
Our mission is:
- to create a welcoming environment where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning young people can easily and safely come to meet, talk, ask questions, develop relationships, and understand themselves as queer-identified people – a place to be themselves.
- to create a safe environment that promotes trust, equality, respect, diversity, openness, and honesty. The centre will have a coordinator who is queer-identified and has a sense of empathy for youth.
- to completely respect the privacy of everyone involved. All emails, calls, comments or questions will be kept in strictest confidence. Part of this being a safe space is the guarantee of confidentiality; you are safe to talk about anything without fear of any other people finding out about it, unless you choose to do so. This is an essential part of our mission.
- to open a dialogue within schools and families about queer-identified people and how we can all help to end homophobia through understanding.
- to provide information and support to parents, families and frineds of queer-identified young people and help them to better understand some of the issues, challenges, achievements and opportunities they may experience.
- to provide a website that provides links to helpful information gathered from across the country, with an emphasis on resources that are easily accessible to West Island teens and young adults.
- to empower queer youth to take control, develop leadership skills and get involved in the community, to become informed and inform others.
Our Website
Our Blog is a great place to start if you’re curious about what’s been going on lately or just what has been on our minds. Check out our events area to see what’s coming up.
The resources section provides access to other Montreal Centres, offers guidance for parents & friends, lends support to those coming out and hosts links to many great resources.
Make a donation! Help out lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and questioning youth by donating generously.
Drop-In Center
Our Drop in center is open Wednesdays & Fridays from 4:00-8:00 PM
Contacting the Centre
Feel free to contact the Centre director via phone or email, with the option of arranging a one-on-one visit. All communication whether emails, calls, comments, questions or conversations, are kept private and confidential.
Whether you are out, closeted, or somewhere in between – we are with you all the way.