IGLYO — The International LGBTQI Youth & Student Organisation, Missing Children Europe and the University of Portsmouth are joining forces to collaborate on LGBTIQ+ Missing Children — a 2-year project that will study the views and lived experiences of LGBTIQ+ young people (between 18 and 24 years old) who “went missing” as children (before they turned 18 years old), with the aim to positively impact LGBTIQ+ children who are at risk of being in such situations.
In the frame of the project, “going missing” is broadly defined as being homeless, running away, or being forced to leave one’s home. This definition is not exhaustive and can also have wider acceptions, such as being forced to live with other relatives or friends, being in the care of social services or foster care, being abducted/trafficked, being an asylum seeker, and/or other similar situations where a child lacks a home or has to live away from it.
An episode of “going missing” can be seen as a signal of underlying issues, just as much as it can be the start of a period of marginalisation and exclusion, which can have a tremendous impact on an LGBTIQ+ child or young person throughout their lifetime. However, there is a dearth of research in Europe on the relationship between being LGBTIQ+ and “going missing”, as defined above.
With this in mind, through research, advocacy, training and campaigning, the LGBTIQ+ Missing Children project will address intersectional discrimination and inequality experienced on grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics to foster prevention, support LGBTIQ+ children at risk, and inform appropriate service providers on how to provide adequate support.
In a nutshell, between May 2024 and March 2026, IGLYO, Missing Children Europe, and the University of Portsmouth will perform the following activities:
1. Survey and interviews
We’ll collect data, through a multilingual survey and interviews, on the experiences of young LGBTIQ+ people with experience of being homeless, running away or being forced to leave their home before the age of 18.
2. Report for professionals
Based on this data, we’ll develop a report for professionals who can play a role in prevention, support and responses to LGBTIQ+ children, including recommendations for training, dissemination of services, awareness raising, and advocacy.
3. Online Info Hub
We’ll gather good practices and resources in an online info hub for LGBTIQ+ young people at risk of being homeless, running away or being forced to leave their home.
4. Online & offline training for professionals
We’ll develop and deliver online and offline training for professionals (e.g. educators, guardianship and foster care service professionals, social and care workers, missing child hotlines, law enforcement officials, etc.) to teach them how to adapt their services to the specific needs of LGBTIQ+ children.
5. Information and awareness-raising campaign
We’ll create an information and awareness-raising campaign to disseminate the research findings, training resources, policy recommendations and info hub as widely as possible amongst their respective audiences (professionals across services, policy-makers and young LGBTIQ+ people).
6. Policy recommendations and symposium at the EP
We’ll draft policy recommendations and organise a policy symposium at the European Parliament to present them to EU and national policy-makers.
“LGBTIQ+ Missing - The voice of LGBTIQ+ young people with experience of going missing before the age of 18” is co-funded by the European Union under the call CERV-2023-EQUAL (project number 101144825).
Two paid boards with different expertise and experience support the Consortium partners in the implementation of the LGBTIQ+ Missing Children project.
The Advisory Youth Board consists of 6 LGBTIQ+ young people under 25 who have experienced going missing, as defined by the project, before turning 18 years old. Based on their experience, the members of the Youth Board contribute to a variety of tasks ranging from advocacy and research to communications and dissemination throughout the project.
Lenny (He/him), Switzerland
Lenny has been a queer activist for several years, mainly as a board member of the queer youth organization Milchjugend, which aims to empower young queer people. Further he is art director of the lila. queer festival and community health worker at Checkpoint Zurich.
Blin Sali (He/him), Albania
Blin Sali is a 23-year-old transgender activist from Albania. He founded and leads a support group for transmasculine individuals, organizes cultural events with and for the LGBTIQ+ community, and represents TGD voices through various advocacy efforts. Blin also contributes to the community through music and art, aiming to help LGBTIQ+ people in Albania feel seen and valued.
Hitesh (They/them), Belgium
Hitesh is an upcoming candidate for an advanced master's in European social security. They hold a dual master's degree in social and cultural Anthropology from KU Leuven and NTNU, Norway. In 2023, Hitesh was appointed as Young Observe Expert for the EU Horizon project evaluation. Lately, they have been invested in studying "Affective Technologies and Postcolonial Condition(s)of EUrope." Their larger field of interest intersects (in)security studies from feminist perspectives; science and technology studies with a hint of psychoanalysis. They are invested in rethinking object(s) of analysis by shifting the gaze of field(s) with (feminist) epistemologies in science, technology and society.
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Eleonore Strehl-Firquet (She/her), France
Eleonore Strehl-Firquet is a passionate psychology student committed to supporting young LGBTQIA+ individuals. When she's not immersed in her studies, she enjoys reading, following F1 racing, and engaging in various sports. Her dedication to helping others is matched by her diverse range of interests.
Theodore Nguyen (It/She/Him), United Kingdom
Theo (any pronouns) is a 19 year-old non-binary person living in Wales. He’s currently at university studying marine biology, and works with Mermaids on their youth advisory panel. He feels passionately about queer organising. In his free time he loves to climb, hike and be outdoors.
The Expert Board of Professionals gathers five professionals representing either LGBTIQ+ organisations or service providers from various sectors that come in contact with LGBTIQ+ children at risk of going missing.
Sara Granath (She/her), Sweden
Lenny has been a queer activist for several years, mainly as a board member of the queer youth organization Milchjugend, which aims to empower young queer people. Further he is art director of the lila. queer festival and community health worker at Checkpoint Zurich.
Dr. Brian J. Frederick (He/They), United States
Dr. Brian Frederick is a queer/cultural criminologist and an Assistant Professor at SUNY Empire State University in Brooklyn, NY. His research focuses on the intersection of LGBTQIA+ folx and crime, deviance and transgression. As a teen, he was a runaway on the streets of Los Angeles and New York City.
Mario Colamarino (He/him), Italy
Mario Colamarino is a jurist, consultant, and president of the Italian LGBTQIA+ association C.C.O. "Mario Mieli" in Rome, serving from 2015 to 2017 and again from 2021 onwards. He is also the spokesperson and chairman of Rome Pride.
Sergio Pérez Barranco (He/him), Belgium
Sergio Pérez is Policy Officer at FEANTSA, the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless, which is the only Europen NGO focusing exclusively on the fight to end homelessness in Europe. He leads the organisation's work in the youth and LGBTIQ+ policy areas, and also works on migration.
There's currently no ongoing news but stay tuned on our channels for updates!
Call for an Advisory Youth Board | 4 June 2024
We're looking for LGBTQI young people between 18-24 years old in Europe with experience of going missing before turning 18 to join the Advisory Youth Board of the project. Read our call and apply by 9 June 2024.
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Project Launch Press Release | 31 May 2024
On 31 May 2024, we officially set sail and launched the LGBTIQ+ Missing Children project through this press release.
IGLYO — The International LGBTQI Youth & Student Organisation
Founded in 1984, IGLYO — The International LGBTQI Youth & Student Organisation is the largest member-based network in the world dedicated to LGBTQI youth and their rights. They represent over 115 Member Organisations in 40 Council of Europe countries. Their work focuses on the protection, empowerment, and freedom of LGBTQI young people. Visit their website
Missing Children Europe
Missing Children Europe represents 32 Non-Governmental Organisations active in 27 countries across Europe for the prevention, protection and support of missing and sexually exploited children and their families. They provide the link between research, policies, and organisations on the ground to protect children from any form of violence, abuse, or neglect that is caused by or results from them going missing. Missing Children Europe coordinates the network of 116000 hotlines for missing children, and the network of cross border family mediators and facilitates coordination of cases that involve cross-border issues, ensuring that vulnerable children receive the help they need no matter where they are in Europe. Visit their website
University of Portsmouth
The University of Portsmouth hosts The Centre for the Study of Missing Persons, provides a clear focus for research into missing persons, for knowledge transfer and for educational provision, to academics, to professionals in the missing persons community and to relatives of missing people. Visit their website
Co-funded by the European Union
“LGBTIQ+ Missing - The voice of LGBTIQ+ young people with experience of going missing before the age of 18” is co-funded by the European Union under the call CERV-2023-EQUAL (project number 101144825).
We have plenty other project that are lead on or a part of. Take a look for yourself !
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