Hafnarfjörður's LGBTQ+ meet-up for 13-16 year-olds
The Hafnarfjörður Queer Meetup kicks off today, Thursday 3rd February at 7:30 p.m. in Vitanum at Lækjarskóli. The meet-up is intended for young people aged 13-16 who identify as queer in any way, are interested in queer topics, are curious about queer issues, or would like to come to a youth club where all children and young people are welcome, with or without any particular label.
Welcome to the bi-weekly queer meet-up in Hafnarfjörður.
The Reykjavik Pride meeting has
its walk today, Thursday 3 February at 19:30 in the Lighthouse at Lækjarskóli. The meeting
is intended for young people aged 13-16 who identify as queer in some way, are into queer concepts, are interested in queer issues, or would like to come to a youth centre where all children and young people are welcome, with or without any particular label. Preparations for the meet-up in Hafnarfjörður were sparked by a flood of enquiries from interested young people, parents and guardians.
Strengthening queer work in Hafnarfjörður for younger groups
The model for the implementation in Hafnarfjörður is the Queer Youth Centre in Reykjavík, where meet-ups and group activities have exceeded expectations. Around 11% of those who have attended the activities at the Reykjavík youth centre are from Hafnarfjörður, and this group can now attend queer social activities in their home town. For some time, Queer Evenings have been offered every other Tuesday at the youth centre Hamrinn, aimed at 16-25 year-olds. In addition, the Hafnarfjörður Library has hosted Queer Evenings aimed at a wider age range.
A safe environment based on togetherness and peer education
In the queer social activities, young people get the opportunity to meet others in a similar situation in a safe and welcoming environment. The underlying aim of the social activities is for the young people to feel safe and welcome and to have the opportunity to flourish. The work is based largely on peer education and on creating a place for young people where they feel safe and have the space to simply be teenagers. The work itself is largely still a blank slate, and it will be shaped and developed by the young people themselves. Therefore, the first meetings will be characterised by brainstorming and discussion about the way forward. The group will also be tasked with helping the staff of Hafnarfjörður's youth clubs to organise a Queer Week this spring, in all the town's youth clubs, to celebrate diversity in Hafnarfjörður and raise awareness of the issues facing queer youth.
Let the word spread!
We encourage all interested young people to attend the queer youth club in Hafnarfjörður. 13-16 year-olds meet every other Thursday at 19:30 at Vitan in Lækjarskóli, and 16-25 year-olds meet every other Tuesday at the youth centre Hamrinn.