ELEM and the LGBTQIA+ Community
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual+ (LGBTQIA+) youth are at high risk of bullying and anxiety from coming out, being perceived as "different," and falling victim to sexual assault, homelessness, and prostitution. Some challenges are unique to LGBTQIA+ youth, and while others aren't, they can be exacerbated or caused by youth being LGBTQIA+. For example, many young transgender youths turn to prostitution to fund hormones and gender-affirming surgery. Statistically, LGBTQIA+ youth get involved with prostitution at a younger age and spend more years in prostitution.
ELEM prides itself on providing support to LGTQIA+ youth tailored to their unique needs. Therapy and services are culturally sensitive, and the staff receives special training to understand the community's issues. Our staffing process takes diversity into account, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community hold critical positions at ELEM up to the leadership level.
ELEM provides LGBTQIA+ youth with counseling, emergency shelter, vocational training, and mentorship. We meet them at our drop-in centers or on their turf, including the streets, beaches, rave parties, or neighborhoods where prostitution takes place.
ELEM provides LGBTQIA+ youth with counseling, emergency shelter, vocational training and mentorship. We meet them at our drop-in centers or on their turf, including the streets, beaches, rave parties or neighborhoods where prostitution takes place.
The Metropolitans Conundrum
Metropolitans are full of culture, diversity, and people from all walks of life. That's why ostracized people escape to them. Places like Haifa, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv, attract at-risk youth from around the country. Many come from more conservative backgrounds, where their "otherness" might not be accepted. It is very common for LGBTQIA+ people to run away from their smaller towns and seek refuge in big cities. But without actual means of survival, they can become prey and fall victim to manipulations which can lead to life-threatening situations. Our drop-in centers and Outreach Vans in most of the prominent Israeli cities are there to assist these youth. Often, these youths choose our centers over other LGBTQIA+ designated spaces because they aren't labeled by sexual or gender preference, which gives them a sense of comfort. Also, since the programs aren't exclusively LGBTQIA+, the youth can experience belonging to a broader community.
There are gay and transgender staff members at the centers, and all staff and volunteers undergo special training on the sensitivities, challenges, and issues of importance to LGBTQIA+ youth. The centers and the vans enable youth to meet with professionals and volunteers in a relaxed manner, offers group and individual counseling, assistance, and support.
HaLev (Haifa) - Escaping the Streets to a Safe Haven
The Heart (HaLev) is a 24/7 program and shelter that provides a safe space for young people who survive on the streets through prostitution. The program offers alternatives to the world of prostitution to enable youth to exit this way of living gradually. It also offers immediate assistance, such as a hot meal, a help hotline, and counseling services. As of 2023, approximately 63% of the youth and young people (up to 21) who attend the program are members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
The majority of these youths and young people are from Arab families. They suffered violence at home and had to hide their sexual orientation. Once they ran away from home, they believed they had no other means of survival but to sell their bodies.
HaLev in Haifa is also the only place in Israel to offer services to young men in prostitution and not just women.
Expanding Services
ELEM is expanding programs that serve and offer shelter to LGBTQIA+ youth. We are offering additional special training to staff and volunteers who work with these youth so that more staff can provide specialized therapy and support. There is no doubt this meaningful work can change a life.
