0:00:02 > 0:00:05This programme contains some strong language.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09Most LGBTQ people have at some point felt that deep fear of rejection
0:00:09 > 0:00:10because of their sexuality
0:00:10 > 0:00:14or their gender identity, and I know I definitely had it.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18That fear of rejection is real because there is an insane statistic
0:00:18 > 0:00:23that says one in four young homeless people in the UK is LGBTQ+.
0:00:23 > 0:00:28So, why are so many young people in the community homeless?
0:00:28 > 0:00:30And what is life really like for them?
0:00:31 > 0:00:33I'm surprised that it is that high, really.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37That's a sad figure, if it is one in four, but it doesn't shock me.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39It's very shocking.
0:00:39 > 0:00:44I literally didn't know that at all. One in four, that's so...that's really big.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46- That's really high, yeah. - One of my friends,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48their family kicked them out when they were 16,
0:00:48 > 0:00:51so they were just on the street for two years until they got their life
0:00:51 > 0:00:53back together.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21I grew up in Ireland, which is a beautiful setting...
0:01:23 > 0:01:25..but it wasn't the setting for me.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28HE SINGS
0:01:28 > 0:01:30I can't reach that note. Fuck off.
0:01:30 > 0:01:35I've been in care, like, pretty much all my life.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38That's because my mum and dad were alcoholics.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42I met my husband in Coventry
0:01:42 > 0:01:45and he died in 2010.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48It kind of went tits up then, really.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51I've been rough sleeping for about eight years.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59But I'm still alive and I'm still breathing,
0:01:59 > 0:02:01so I thank God for small mercies, eh?
0:02:04 > 0:02:09A lot of LGBT people come to big cities to feel like they have a community
0:02:09 > 0:02:11or just like-minded people around them.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14But the problem is if something goes wrong, they can very,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17very soon find themselves sleeping rough.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21So, I've come to a very cold, very chilly Birmingham to meet Damien.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23He's been sleeping rough for many,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27many years and we're going to find out a little bit about his story.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32Can you tell me the reason why you don't want us to show your face on camera?
0:02:32 > 0:02:37Because I'm afraid of being kicked in the face
0:02:37 > 0:02:41as soon as somebody sees this on BBC Three.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45Because this is a gay homeless documentary.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47They'll target you because you're gay?
0:02:47 > 0:02:51Yeah. And that is a fear that I live with constantly.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Every night that I go to sleep, I fear this.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58I've had my sleeping bag set fire to on the end.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Only for I was actually slightly awake,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07I wouldn't be standing here doing this interview now.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12I sleep with one eye open and one eye closed.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15I don't even get any sleep, really.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19If I had a choice, I'd be straight.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Because it's easier on my life.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27I've been called a faggot and a queer, but...
0:03:27 > 0:03:30I've lived with that all me life, so...
0:03:30 > 0:03:34Do you not think it's sad that you've been desensitised to being called
0:03:34 > 0:03:36- such awful names?- Not really.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39If I wasn't gay, I'd be called a fucking tramp.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41So...
0:03:42 > 0:03:46No matter what you are, someone will always pick something
0:03:46 > 0:03:49to speak about.
0:03:50 > 0:03:51I've been disowned.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54I haven't spoken to any of my family in...
0:03:56 > 0:03:59..17 years, 16 years.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02The day you said you were gay was the last day you spoke to them?
0:04:02 > 0:04:06Yep. Did Mummy and Daddy accept you? Nah...
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Yeah. Not straight away.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12No. My dad found it very, very difficult.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14My dad is from Iraq,
0:04:14 > 0:04:19- and, you know, it's not really a good thing to be gay if you are from there.- No, obviously.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23And then you've got the Irish mixed in with Iraq!
0:04:23 > 0:04:24Fuck's sake!
0:04:24 > 0:04:26You know!
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Come on!
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Iraq, Irish Catholic. Hold up.
0:04:30 > 0:04:37Honestly, before I came out, I thought I was going to end up on the streets, like you.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41I'm only as lucky as I am because they brought me up,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44and they looked after me and embraced me and they nurtured me.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47- You didn't have that. - I didn't have that.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51But...no point in crying over spilt milk, is there?
0:04:51 > 0:04:56Do you know what? I could be lying there in the puddle
0:04:56 > 0:04:59and I'd still make people laugh.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Cos what's the point in being miserable?
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Where is it going to get you?
0:05:12 > 0:05:15We are all little children, all little babies of somebody.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18And I think
0:05:18 > 0:05:22we all deserve to have someone who makes us feel safe and loved and...
0:05:24 > 0:05:27- ..worthy.- You need to feel like you belong somewhere.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30You need to have somewhere, regardless of where it is,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33where you feel safe and you can be truly who you are.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Of course, at its worst, homelessness means rough sleeping.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40But that is just the tip of the iceberg because there are so many people
0:05:40 > 0:05:45that just go unseen, who are sofa surfing, they are in hostels,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47or in and out of insecure accommodation.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51Now, the Albert Kennedy Trust is a charity that specialises in
0:05:51 > 0:05:55LGBT homelessness. I'm going to meet key worker Helen, who is hopefully going to
0:05:55 > 0:06:01shed some light on just why so many young LGBTs find themselves without a home.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07The AKT is Britain's only dedicated LGBTQ homeless charity.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16- Hi, are you Helen?- Hi, yeah, nice to meet you.- Nice to meet you.
0:06:16 > 0:06:17- How are you doing?- Come in.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20We are working with young people that are sort of between the
0:06:20 > 0:06:22ages of 23 to 25.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24And that's a real difficult time.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27You know, we are talking about young people who have just been suddenly
0:06:27 > 0:06:30kicked out of the house. It is just heartbreaking stuff.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32People having to sleep in tents, you know.
0:06:32 > 0:06:37People walking every night because they don't feel safe falling asleep on the bus.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40People they thought were friends are pushing them into having sex,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43and kind of in a roundabout way saying, you know,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46you can sleep on my sofa if you have sex.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51And obviously drugs - because for every group, it's an escape.
0:06:51 > 0:06:57You know, people, it's frowned down, people giving homeless people alcohol...
0:06:57 > 0:07:02- Because they need it.- They need it so it is a difficult balancing act.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05What kind of LGBTs are coming to you looking for help?
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Every walk of life, really.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Every race, every religion, or major religion.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Homophobia, prejudice, anything like that,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16it doesn't really matter where you come from,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19it will exist there in some form.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24Is it parental rejection that is the main reason these kids end up out of
0:07:24 > 0:07:27a home or are there other things at play here?
0:07:27 > 0:07:31Yeah. Parents do play a role in it, and yes, one parent,
0:07:31 > 0:07:36sometimes two parents, just being very...homophobic and quite angry
0:07:36 > 0:07:38and horrible to their own child.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41The needs of LGBTQ homeless people,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43are they different from those of straight homeless people?
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Sexual health is a big thing but there isn't much support for that.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50The issues are different, you know, the sex is different.
0:07:50 > 0:07:58So, yeah, there are a lot of stuff that are specific for our young LGBTQ people.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01We've got to give them skills to manage rejection.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04When they first come to Purple Door, we do about two weeks where we're like,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06"Yeah, let your hair down, relax, get some sleep,
0:08:06 > 0:08:11"don't do things right on right on, get your strength back, recoup..."
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Because once we start again, there is going to be no stopping.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16They've kind of got to stay focused.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20So, that is how we kind of prepare them, I suppose.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Gay boy. Back in school,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26if you asked me that or called me that at 16, I would have
0:08:26 > 0:08:29acted completely different now.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Faggot. Weirdly, by one of my friends who would laugh and
0:08:32 > 0:08:35be like, "Yeah, but you know that I'm joking."
0:08:35 > 0:08:38And it's like, "But it's not funny,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40"it's not one of those words you can just use."
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Tranny. It can be taken into different concepts so you've got to
0:08:43 > 0:08:46kind of, like, identify which is positive and which is negative,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48if that makes sense.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Batty man. I don't really care any more.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52He is what he is, I am what I am.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54If you don't like it, just take it or leave it.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58Batty boy, chi chi man,
0:08:58 > 0:09:02it's the embarrassment when it's shouted out in public
0:09:02 > 0:09:05when you are... Just out of nowhere, you could just be going to the shop,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08and just to hear that, it takes you, just, like...
0:09:15 > 0:09:19The gay scene here in West Calder? What gay scene?
0:09:27 > 0:09:29I'm an openly gay man.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33But just recently, I've kind of came across the terminology
0:09:33 > 0:09:35of gender neutral.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40You know, sometimes I feel male, or sometimes I feel female.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44Or there's other days where I don't feel male nor female,
0:09:44 > 0:09:48I just feel me. Plain old me.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54My mum couldn't look after me,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57so I was taken off my biological family...
0:09:58 > 0:10:00..and put into the care system.
0:10:00 > 0:10:05I've never felt part of a community, I've always felt like an outsider,
0:10:05 > 0:10:11it has made me feel more isolated, more depressed, which then
0:10:11 > 0:10:14has led for me to be homeless.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22I went to meet John in his old home town of Blackburn.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31This is the last place that I called home prior to being homeless.
0:10:31 > 0:10:38Do you think it was specifically homophobia that made you homeless?
0:10:38 > 0:10:39Yeah.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43Erm...cos for the four-and-a-half years that I stayed here,
0:10:43 > 0:10:48I was...I got nothing but subjected to homophobia, you know.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Erm... Every day. Even going down to the local shops.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54The dog's abuse I would get, you know.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57I would wear my wigs or something, and they would pull them off.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01I mean, I've been called, like, a paedophile and stuff.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Just for being gay. They have egged my windows.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06They've...erm...
0:11:06 > 0:11:10They've graffitied my property. They've chucked stones at windows.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13They've broke windows before.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Erm, and the firework through my door...
0:11:15 > 0:11:17- Fireworks?- Yeah, a firework.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22Is there a standout memory of one day when they came down and you
0:11:22 > 0:11:24could see them outside?
0:11:24 > 0:11:27I was sitting there watching my telly,
0:11:27 > 0:11:32quite the thing, and all I heard was a thud, out my window.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Next thing I know, a
0:11:34 > 0:11:37big brick, a massive brick had went through it.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40And they were all standing outside,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44like, the gate, shouting and swearing.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46And, you know, they were chucking rubbish and that in my garden.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50- What were they shouting? - Like, "Faggot, you're a poof..."
0:11:50 > 0:11:54It got to the point where I was in that house, I would refuse to leave,
0:11:54 > 0:11:59just if I had to somewhere, but I would come back as soon as I could.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02How much can a person take?
0:12:02 > 0:12:04At what point did you go, "No, I've had enough"?
0:12:04 > 0:12:08After the four-and-a-half-year mark,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12I just...I had a complete and utter meltdown.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14How does it feel to be standing here?
0:12:14 > 0:12:16I don't know. Quite emotional, I think.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21But, you know what, I don't miss it. I don't.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26You know, I miss maybe some of the memories I had in it but they're memories.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28- You know, they're there, so... - MAN SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY
0:12:29 > 0:12:32No, you don't. Oh, so...
0:12:32 > 0:12:37CAR HORN BEEPS CONTINUALLY
0:12:37 > 0:12:40- OK, so... - This is the Blackburn mentality.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44- Is this what it is like here? - Yeah, the Blackburn mentality.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48So, there's a man over there screaming and shouting at us
0:12:48 > 0:12:50- because we are filming. - Do you know who that was?
0:12:50 > 0:12:54No, but I reckon it would have been the new tenant, probably.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56- What did he say to you? - Do you mind me saying?
0:12:56 > 0:12:58No, no, please do.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00He said, "You're filming the only gay in the village."
0:13:00 > 0:13:03And I said, "Oh, we're filming an interview with John."
0:13:03 > 0:13:07- And he said something about "that faggot bastard".- Are you OK?
0:13:07 > 0:13:10- Yeah, yeah. No, I deal with that... - You're here with us.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12- The gay team.- Yeah!
0:13:12 > 0:13:14And you are no longer the only gay in the village.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16- Exactly.- There's four of us.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Erm... Shocking.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21I've never experienced that.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25- But you're like, "Yeah, whatever," cos you're used to it.- Yes.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30It's, erm, what I have to put up with on a daily basis. It's pretty much the norm.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33If you've not a loving environment to be
0:13:33 > 0:13:37supported in, then you're not going to be able to support and love the
0:13:37 > 0:13:39person that you are.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40You don't come out once.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Like, each time you go somewhere else, you have to come out again.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45So, you go to work, you go to school, you go and meet new people,
0:13:45 > 0:13:47and you have to come out each and every single time.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50So, it is nice to have, at home,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52that stable place where you don't have to come out,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55you can just... They know, you know, they all know what's happening
0:13:55 > 0:13:57and you're just comfortable with each other.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03I've been homeless for six months.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10I identify as bisexual but I don't really feel like I want to put
0:14:10 > 0:14:12a label onto it.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21I was homeless because of a breakdown in my family,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23within my family, due to hardship.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26And because of my sexuality.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32I feel like homelessness changes people's identification.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35You don't feel yourself any more.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38You lose what you were.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43The impact homelessness has had on my life ranges.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48Confidence, separation from society, not having support,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51loss of friends and stuff.
0:14:51 > 0:14:57Being homeless and part of the LGBTQ+ community seems more difficult than
0:14:57 > 0:15:00other people I've met because it is not just one story,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03it is like telling two stories.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Kristina has been living in a youth hostel for the past six months.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- Oh, this is lovely, Kristina. - Aw, thank you.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Do you mind if I have a little poke around and have a little look?
0:15:22 > 0:15:25- That's fine, yeah.- Is this a Lana Del Rey-esque headpiece?
0:15:25 > 0:15:27- I made it for prom. - Can you try it on for me?
0:15:27 > 0:15:29CAMERA CLICKS
0:15:29 > 0:15:33What was the first time that you noticed there might be something there?
0:15:33 > 0:15:34THEY LAUGH
0:15:34 > 0:15:38I think I was about six. I was obsessed with Kylie Minogue.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41I thought everyone thought she was really adorable.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46She was in this, I think, a silver costume, and she looked brilliant.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50- I Can't Get You Out Of My Head video?- Yeah!
0:15:50 > 0:15:52And I just thought, like,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54why am I so obsessed with this woman?
0:15:54 > 0:15:57She is just so... She's just beautiful.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- Does Kylie still do it for you now? - Oh, yeah.- Yeah?
0:16:00 > 0:16:02- Is she your number one?- Yeah.
0:16:02 > 0:16:03Dannii is lovely as well.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Oh, yeah? If you had a choice, though, Dannii or Kylie?
0:16:05 > 0:16:08- Kylie.- Every time? - Oh, yeah.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13How did you end up in a place like this?
0:16:13 > 0:16:16SHE SIGHS
0:16:16 > 0:16:21My mum didn't really treat me the same as my siblings.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24And it got to a point where I thought, "I can't take it any more."
0:16:24 > 0:16:27I wasn't allowed to use the bath, the washing machine, the cooker,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30the fridge, use any of the facilities in the kitchen.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Every time I would get food out of the freezer,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35she would accuse me of stealing.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37I wasn't really allowed to go out.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40If I came back, and she wasn't in a good mood,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43she wouldn't let me back in. I just had no control.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48It sounds almost like you were a prisoner.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50- In your own home.- Yeah.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52It was like that. I didn't know what to do with myself.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56What is your family, if they are not going to support you in that situation?
0:16:58 > 0:17:05It just doesn't make sense to me why they wouldn't want to love you because of...
0:17:05 > 0:17:07because of that - it's just silly.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11I just couldn't take any more.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14I said to my teacher, "I don't know what to do.
0:17:14 > 0:17:19"I'm already feeling suicidal, I already feel like I don't want to be
0:17:19 > 0:17:23"here, and I can't do it any more."
0:17:23 > 0:17:26She said, "Kristina, we can't have it," and called social services.
0:17:26 > 0:17:33And that was it. My status was temporarily homeless for three months after that.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Shocking.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38- Yeah.- Is this your girlfriend? - Mm-hm, yeah.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41I'm loving the blue hair.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44It's been all sorts of colours!
0:17:44 > 0:17:49Being young and LGBT, has this situation affected you in the long term?
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Definitely. Even at college, I say, "my partner".
0:17:53 > 0:17:56I don't talk openly about having a girlfriend.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59We never kiss in public.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01And it really upsets me.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04It is not OK to be around certain people, people are offended,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07people don't want to see you do that.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11I mean, Amy used to get bricks and stuff thrown at her on her way home.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15I got pushed on a flight of stairs, and my face smacked off a wall.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19And I just had glasses as well.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22So, I literally just got them and it nearly went in my eyes and stuff,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25- it was horrible.- I can't believe the stuff that you have been through.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28Mm-hm. I can't really accept it either.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31- Do you think you ever will? - Probably not, no.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34You've had a roof over your head the whole time, yeah?
0:18:34 > 0:18:37- Yeah.- Not one night on the street? - I'm lucky.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39- Thank God.- I know!
0:18:39 > 0:18:42I feel I would be so vulnerable as well, especially.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45- I don't think you'd survive.- No.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48You're too gentle. I think you need to be in a safe place like this.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56Kristina's girlfriend Amy has supported her through her homelessness.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58It would be like if I didn't have...
0:18:58 > 0:19:02- Have you seen a change in Kristina? Over time?- Definitely.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05I mean, we've been together for nearly three years now.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08And it is just amazing, I think we've both grown a lot as people.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10But, like, the changes you have made in your life,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14like trying to make your situation better, it's phenomenal, really.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17I wouldn't have coped at all,
0:19:17 > 0:19:21at all, like, through school, through my dad, and just
0:19:21 > 0:19:26everything at home, like, you're my rock, pretty much.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30It sounds really sappy, but...
0:19:30 > 0:19:35I wanted the chance to speak to Amy's parents about their support for both of the girls.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39The first time that you got the pleasure of meeting Kristina,
0:19:39 > 0:19:41you thought they were just mates, initially?
0:19:41 > 0:19:43Yeah. Amy is quite...
0:19:43 > 0:19:45She keeps a lot to herself, anyways,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48so I've always kind of discovered things about Amy,
0:19:48 > 0:19:52rather than, you know, we're having a good old chat about...
0:19:52 > 0:19:53- Sure.- ..how things are going.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57And, you, as the dad, what was your honest initial reaction?
0:19:57 > 0:20:01When she said, "I've actually got a girlfriend," all I said was,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04"Thank God I haven't got to worry about you getting pregnant."
0:20:05 > 0:20:08My mum said the same thing.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12Well, you are both unbelievably open and accepting.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14I mean... Do you, as parents,
0:20:14 > 0:20:19realise just how special that kind of love is,
0:20:19 > 0:20:20and that not everyone has that?
0:20:20 > 0:20:26If you thought about all the elements that made a person a person,
0:20:26 > 0:20:30sexuality is...it's really like an orange, it's only one segment, isn't it?
0:20:30 > 0:20:34That is just one thing, so why do people pick that one thing out,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37and make it like that is what the whole person is about?
0:20:37 > 0:20:42So, you two being such open and accepting parents,
0:20:42 > 0:20:46what did it feel like, then, when you saw Kristina's situation?
0:20:46 > 0:20:48Amy had said, "Well, can't she stay here for a while?"
0:20:48 > 0:20:50I said absolutely not a problem.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54But what I didn't want was her only having the option of being here so I
0:20:54 > 0:20:56said that probably in the long term,
0:20:56 > 0:21:00to find out how you could live independently.
0:21:00 > 0:21:06People think their own ideology is so strong that they can't accept
0:21:06 > 0:21:09anything that is on the outskirts of that.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12And I can't understand why people can't be more accepting.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16At some stage, perhaps as they get older, and they miss their child,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19they will regret it. At some stage, they will.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21Definitely, yeah.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32It says, #ISawYourDadOnGrindr.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36When I get picked on, it's a thing that
0:21:36 > 0:21:42I either say in my head, or to them personally.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45It takes my mind off the hurt
0:21:45 > 0:21:48and the pain that they are causing.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Oh, excuse me, that's my phone, that'll be the council.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Hello. So, is this a temp tenancy?
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Oh, right, OK.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04That is OK, then... And...what about my belongings?
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Thanks. Bye. Bye.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Well, there you go, a bit of good news.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15I've got my temp tenancy the morra, so...I'm excited.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19I'm nervous because I just don't know what I'm going into.
0:22:19 > 0:22:25Like, through this situation, I've kind of lost my independence a bit.
0:22:27 > 0:22:33I'm just packing some of my stuff. Just trying to get it all organised.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36This is just like a stepping stone.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41I'm getting somewhere in the line of homelessness.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Oh, even a wee seating area there. Look at that.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09The old smell of cannabis.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12This is 13.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16So, I'll leave you.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19- You can have a wee wander.- Yeah. - So, this is your sitting room.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23- Yeah. - All the stuff. Kitchen... Fridge...
0:23:25 > 0:23:28- Aye. - Pots and pans and all that stuff.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31And at the back is your bathroom.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35This is your bedroom. That's it!
0:23:35 > 0:23:38- It's just...empty. - It is very empty.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42- I'm sure it won't be long until you...- Probably not!
0:23:42 > 0:23:44You want to go in and have a wee sit down?
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Take it all in?
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Despite having new house keys in his hands,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54things for John are not so simple.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00I'll be all right. I usually am.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04I just feel a bit lost the now, to be honest.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07I mean, I don't know.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12I don't think I'm quite comfortable with the idea, to be honest.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16It is just, I don't know the area, I don't know nobody...
0:24:17 > 0:24:20I just feel like I'm going to become more isolated.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22You know?
0:24:33 > 0:24:37What is your first memory of when you realised you fancied fellas?
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Do you remember Casper the friendly ghost?
0:24:39 > 0:24:44- Yeah!- Do you remember when Casper turned into that boy?
0:24:44 > 0:24:47This is so funny. I had the exact same crush!
0:24:49 > 0:24:52All the girls at school were saying, "Oh, my God, he's gorgeous!"
0:24:52 > 0:24:56And I was like, "Oh, he is gorgeous, isn't he?"
0:24:56 > 0:25:01I must have been about 12, 13, or something like that.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05And I think that was my first where I thought, "Hold up..."
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Absolutely freezing tonight.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Like, I'm wearing these, and the tips of my fingers are...
0:25:15 > 0:25:18They feel like they are going to fall off.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20And he's got, like, two tiny layers on.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23To be honest with you, I feel a bit stupid,
0:25:23 > 0:25:25wearing all of this in front of him.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28He's taking me around the local area,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31showing me where he hides all of his stuff,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33all of the sleeping bags, the quilts, and all of that,
0:25:33 > 0:25:37and then the different spots in the town where he can sleep.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39He says there is about 100 of them.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43But he is going to show me the one where he...lays his head most often.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Is this going to be where you'll sleep tonight?
0:25:46 > 0:25:51- Yeah, yeah.- Right here? - Yeah. I need a fecking can now.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56- How many cans in a day?- Ten.- Ten cans?- Mm.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00He has just gone in to get a can cos he has started to get shaky.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04It has been, I think, an hour since he has had one.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07And...
0:26:07 > 0:26:09I guess he just needs it to feel normal.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14Which is understandable, I guess. A bit sad, but I've got to let him do his thing...
0:26:14 > 0:26:18MAN SHOUTS ..and then, we're going to carry on.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Are you feeling better, since you got it?
0:26:21 > 0:26:24I don't know, it just... It keeps me warm, really, do you know what I mean?
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- Oh, that's a brothel! - That's a brothel?- Yep.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30- Have you frequented it? - Have I shite.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32HE LAUGHS
0:26:32 > 0:26:33They don't do willies.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36- Oh, they don't do willies? - They don't do willies.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Dirty bastards!
0:26:38 > 0:26:43I'll go and show you now where we hide our stuff.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Look, sleeping bag and the quilt...
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Now, we have another sleeping bag under there.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51You put this one over,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54to keep the rest of them dry.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Is there a risk, though, that another homeless person or a group
0:26:57 > 0:27:00- of homeless people will come and...? - Yeah, there's always that risk.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03But it is a risk you are willing to take, really.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05I guess. Where else are you going to put it?
0:27:05 > 0:27:08- Exactly.- What is this place that we are going to now?
0:27:08 > 0:27:11We are going on to the arches where I used to sleep.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13- Are they railway arches?- Yep.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Wow, what a place.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35- Are you warm enough? Yeah?- It's well warm.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37Nice and cosy, you fecker.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40Keep yourself warm.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Night, and God bless you, son.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50In the cold weather, Damien gets regular visits from local outreach
0:27:50 > 0:27:52workers Rick and Tash.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Would you still be here without them?
0:27:55 > 0:27:57No. I'd be dead.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00I would have died of hypothermia.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Or starvation.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05I worry about Damien.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09If I don't see him in a week, I'm out searching for him.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12To make sure he is still alive and not dead.
0:28:12 > 0:28:17At this point, I've almost become institutionalised,
0:28:17 > 0:28:24I'm almost used to being homeless, so I don't know nothing better.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Is there a hope that things will change?
0:28:27 > 0:28:33Well, I know things will get better because they can't get any worse.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35I know that.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37I'm an optimist.
0:28:39 > 0:28:44Anyone else that is out there and you are in the same situation as me,
0:28:44 > 0:28:48please don't do the same thing as I am doing.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52Get yourself indoors, because this is no life.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58And it is not a life you should have to be used to.
0:29:03 > 0:29:09It's a cruel but very real fact that there are so many young LGBTQ people
0:29:09 > 0:29:13who are homeless because of their sexuality.
0:29:13 > 0:29:18And yet, when you have spent your entire young life struggling with
0:29:18 > 0:29:22your sexuality or your gender identity, and you are vulnerable because of it,
0:29:22 > 0:29:26the horrible irony is that that's the point in your life where you
0:29:26 > 0:29:29need a safe space or place to call home the most.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39It has been a month since John moved into his temporary accommodation
0:29:39 > 0:29:41here in Livingston, Scotland.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44So, I've come to see how he's getting on.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48- Hi, come in. - Hi, how are you?
0:29:48 > 0:29:51- I'm good, thank you. Come in. - So, this is the pad.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54- Yes, it is the pad.- Can I have a little look around at your stuff?
0:29:54 > 0:29:56Yes. Of course you can.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59Where did you get these fellows from?
0:29:59 > 0:30:01- They're brothers, are they?- Yeah.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04- See no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.- Ah, yes!
0:30:04 > 0:30:07I love your taste in movies, as well.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10- Miss Congeniality... - Sandra Bullock, Beyonce...
0:30:10 > 0:30:14- Jennifer Hudson. - Yes. And the pride flag.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18- Oh, yeah.- Why is it important to you to have them all over the house?
0:30:18 > 0:30:20I don't know, it just...
0:30:20 > 0:30:22It adds colour, for a start, on they white walls!
0:30:23 > 0:30:30No, to me I think it just signifies, you know, love and peace and equality and diversity...
0:30:30 > 0:30:33Where did you get this one?
0:30:33 > 0:30:35It was in Edinburgh.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39- My very first Gay Pride.- Your first? - Yeah...- This is precious!
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Yes, this is very precious. This is like gold dust.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46Wow. How important is it for you to have all of these things,
0:30:46 > 0:30:49like, your own style in the place?
0:30:49 > 0:30:53Oh, yeah, it's, like, really important to me,
0:30:53 > 0:30:56because I feel a bit more secure when I see my things around.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58How do you feel now that you are here?
0:30:58 > 0:31:01I love the flat. The flat is amazing.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04But I'm just not sure about the community yet.
0:31:04 > 0:31:09You know. I don't know how the community is, but I am settling a bit.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13How important is having a home for your mental health or for you just
0:31:13 > 0:31:15- to function as a human?- Well,
0:31:15 > 0:31:18it is important to me because my house is my sanctuary.
0:31:18 > 0:31:24It is somewhere where I am meant to be safe and secure and somewhere
0:31:24 > 0:31:27where at the end of a long day,
0:31:27 > 0:31:31I can just come in and shut the door and be myself
0:31:31 > 0:31:33- and...- Put your wig on.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36Put my wig on, yes. Or my make-up.
0:31:36 > 0:31:41Or prance about, dancing to Gaga, you know.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43Next year will be my year.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45I keep saying that at the end of every year.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48No, next year's going to be my year.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51I'm going to make it my year.