New Survey Says Queer Aussie Youth Desperately Need Strong Community & Allies

New research has revealed the importance of queer friendships and community in the lives of young LGBTQIA+ Australians, with thousands of survey participants saying these relationships are extremely important to them.

The finding reflects just some of the data collected by LGBTQIA+ youth charity Minus 18 in their Queer Youth Now survey, the largest national survey of LGBTQIA+ youth in recent years. The data, released today, sheds light on the urgent challenges and powerful moments of pride experienced by LGBTQIA+ young people in 2025.

“This data not only affirms the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ young people – it gives us clear, actionable direction to improve the support systems they rely on,” said Micah Scott, CEO of Minus18.

“It tells us where to focus, what needs to change, and how we can better show up for queer youth across the country.”

Almost 3,000 LGBTQIA+people aged 13 to 25 were surveyed for the report, with nearly half of the respondents still in high school at the time of the survey. 64% were trans or gender diverse, and 38% lived in regional, rural, or remote locations.

Homophobic and transphobic hate is an ongoing reality for most LGBTQIA+ youth, with almost 90 per cent saying they’d experienced anti-LGBTQIA+ bullying, harassment or violence at some point in their lifetime. More than half of the youth surveyed said that the hate had been experienced in the last year.

Queer youth say community helps them have “the courage to be ourselves”

However, the survey also highlighted the importance of queer community, with 99% reporting that making queer friends was an important part of their lives. When young queer people need support, they’re turning to their mates, both those online and in person.

“When my best friend came out to me, it made me feel so proud because without each other, we wouldn’t have had the courage to be ourselves,” one respondent said.

“I found euphoria through my friendship with her and my own unique relationship with gender through my autism. I feel things so different and it’s beautiful.”

Displays of allyship are important too. 86% of LGBTQIA+ young people said just seeing someone wearing rainbow or ally accessories such as badges or lanyards made them feel safer and more like they belonged, and 7 in 10 said they’d attended a LGBTQIA+ student group available at their school.

“Quantifying our collective lived experience highlights the diversity and disparity in queer youths experiences, building pressure towards change,” said one 20-year-old respondent.

Project lead and head of Insights & Analytics at Minus18, Alvi Ahmed, says Queer Youth Now isn’t “just a report”.

“It’s a blueprint for inclusion. It’s a tool for schools, governments, workplaces and service providers – and it’s a rallying cry to do better for LGBTQIA+ young people.”