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With high rates of substance use in Queer communities and BC’s ongoing toxic drug crisis, many Queer youth are left to navigate substance use and recovery on their own.
-Words by Iman Janmohamed, Webdesign by Sam Low
-This article contains mention of substance use, suicide and violence against 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
- + +This article contains mention of substance use, suicide and violence against 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
+Goodyear, whose research explores the implications of substance use among 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, said these structural inequities like sexism, homophobia and transphobia, intersect individual concerns like familial rejection, domestic violence and mental illness to create circumstances that can lead to substance misuse.
-Both Sylvie and Goodyear said their Queer peers can sometimes turn to substance use as a coping mechanism because of the hardships they face. For UBC psychology student Rory Mills, that was the case — they used substances to self-medicate their anxiety and depression. @@ -239,6 +245,10 @@
“If you're already in a space where you know everyone else in it is there for the same reason — that removes so much small talk that you need to do in order to get to know someone better … That was really pivotal as well in just forming a community,” said Sylvie.
+Sylvie said many Queer spaces are “very defined by substances or substance use.”
@@ -278,6 +288,10 @@Goodyear said the prevalence of overdose-related deaths in BC means that many people “know of someone, has loved someone or knows a friend of a friend who has overdosed or … died of overdose.”
+When it comes to advocating for better harm reduction policies, Goodyear said looking to the rich histories of 2SLGBTQIA+ activism is important.
@@ -308,6 +322,10 @@Like Sylvie, Mills also uses their lived experiences to inform harm reduction initiatives in Vancouver. Mills works at The Birdhouse, a Queer and Trans-run events space, as a buddy. Buddies are naloxone-trained and carry supplies like bottled water, condoms, lube, snacks and tampons to support people in a nightclub environment.
+“I view [the buddy system] as our entrance to someone … not feeling good.” said Mills. “They're not just going to get kicked out by security. We're there to help and figure out things, help their friends get organized, but also respond to emergencies.”
@@ -332,9 +350,9 @@