The LGBT+ Youth Manifesto is part of a wider research project into language and LGBT identity, led by Dr Lucy Jones from the University of Nottingham. The project explores how young people navigate norms and ideologies of gender and sexuality in their everyday lives.

As part of the language and LGBT+ identity project, Lucy carried out interviews and focus groups with 32 members of four youth groups between 2018 to 19. Then, during lockdown in 2020 to 21, she conducted online workshops with more than 40 additional young people from those groups. The LGBT+ Youth Manifesto combines points made by participants in both sets of activities, and was written and designed with the young people in 2021. 

The Manifesto was shared via a social media campaign during May to June 2021.The young people designed the campaign’s look and feel in collaboration with Charlie Jordin, Digital Officer for the LGBT+ youth homeless charity AKT.

The young people involved in this project represent a range of ages, gender identities, sexualities, socioeconomic class groups, educational backgrounds, families, and ethnic identities. While the manifesto cannot claim to represent the views of all LGBT+ youth, it reflects the shared experiences of young LGBT+ people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

In addition to the manifesto, a policy brief detailing the main findings of the study has also been published.

Funding

The LGBT+ Youth Manifesto is funded by a British Academy/Leverhulme Society Small Grant.