Beyond Inclusion: Systemic Advocacy as a Tool for Real Change in LGBTIQA+ Young People’s Lives

Chloe Clements | Youth Pride Network | Youth Pride Network Coordinator 

“True inclusion considers race, disability, neurodivergence, culture and class” LGBTIQA+ young person, 2025 

“Representation that’s visible – not built on tokenism.” LGBTIQA+ young person, 2025 

“You cannot make decisions on behalf of people. We need to value lived experience.” LGBTIQA+ young person, 2025  

The term inclusion has become ubiquitous across youth services, community organisations, and policy documents. Yet for many LGBTIQA+ young people, inclusion remains more aspirational than actual. While institutions may claim inclusive practice, the lived experiences of young people tell a different story - one marked by barriers to access, limited participation, and the persistent tokenisation of their voices. 

Inclusion, when limited to surface-level gestures, often obscures the systemic challenges that continue to impact LGBTIQA+ young people. It is not uncommon for a passionate frontline worker to reach the limits of what the system will allow, coming up against rigid structures and siloed decision-making. Despite their best efforts, many are constrained by policies, funding models, and organisational cultures that do not support meaningful engagement with young people - particularly those from marginalised communities. 

This is not a reflection of individual intent, but of systemic design. True inclusion cannot be achieved without structural change, and structural change requires systemic advocacy. 

From Tokenism to Power-Shifting: Understanding the Inclusion Spectrum 

The “inclusion spectrum” provides a helpful framework to understand the varying degrees of youth involvement in organisational and systemic processes. 

At one end sits tokenism, where young people are invited into spaces simply to meet a requirement or give the appearance of consultation, with little to no genuine influence. Representation, slightly further along the spectrum, offers visibility but not necessarily voice or power. Participation brings young people into pre-defined roles or projects, often without the ability to shape the broader agenda. 

It is only at the levels of co-design and power-shifting that youth involvement becomes meaningful. In co-design, young people are engaged from the outset to shape agendas, influence decisions, and collaborate as equal partners. Power-shifting takes this a step further - young people lead, prioritise, and drive the work, with resourcing, trust, and structural support embedded into the model. 

At Youth Pride Network (YPN), we are proud to locate ourselves at the power-shifting end of the spectrum. Founded as a grassroots youth-led movement, YPN has grown into a formal organisation while maintaining its youth-led model. Young people are not peripheral to the work, they are the work. Our committee of young people aged 12 to 25 lead every aspect of the organisation, from strategic direction to policy development to program delivery. 

Youth Leadership in Practice: From Advocacy to Systems Change 

Our approach to systemic change is grounded in lived experience, and executed through youth-led advocacy, creative programming, capacity building, and policy reform. 

In our advocacy work, we engage directly with government, services, and sector leaders. We bring lived experience into policy conversations not as anecdotes, but as evidence - critical to the design of effective, inclusive systems. Our programming centres on creating safe, joyful, and affirming spaces for LGBTIQA+ youth, from our Queer Prom to Inclusive Eid celebration for LGBTIQA+ young Muslims. These events are more than community-building, they are spaces of resistance, affirmation, and healing. 

We also work closely with organisations and services to build their capacity to serve LGBTIQA+ young people in ways that are trauma-informed, inclusive, and youth-centred. This includes consultation, co-design processes, and training, all developed and facilitated by young people with direct knowledge of the barriers these systems often present. 

Our policy and research work, including our State of Play reports, is entirely youth-led. These reports capture both quantitative data and rich qualitative insights into the experiences of LGBTIQA+ youth across Western Australia. They highlight the systemic issues facing young people in crisis accommodation, healthcare, education, and beyond and they offer clear, youth-informed recommendations for reform. 

Case Study: Queeries Policy Forum 2024 

One of our most impactful initiatives to date is the Queeries Policy Forum, held in 2024. Designed and facilitated entirely by our committee and project team, the forum created a space for LGBTIQA+ young people to engage directly with policymakers in a youth-friendly environment. 

The forum did not simply consult young people after decisions were made. Rather, youth participants co-designed the theme, structure, accessibility features, and agenda. Topics were chosen based on lived experience and community priorities; including youth homelessness, inclusive health services, and safety in schools. 

Young people facilitated the event, led discussions, and authored the resulting policy briefs. These briefs were submitted to government stakeholders, accompanied by sector commitments to follow-up actions. The forum was not just a moment of visibility - it created new partnerships, informed policy conversations, and established ongoing advocacy relationships led by youth. 

From Storytelling to Systems Reform 

At YPN, we believe in the power of storytelling, but not in isolation. We do not share stories for inspiration alone. We share them to disrupt narratives, inform policy, and reimagine systems. When young people speak to their experiences through art, media, and public speaking, it shifts how institutions see them, not as problems to solve, but as leaders and experts. 

Our State of Play reports exemplify this. These reports amplify the voices of LGBTIQA+ youth often excluded from mainstream data collection, and challenge the deficit lens that so frequently dominates youth research. Through statewide consultations across metropolitan, regional, and remote WA, we combine data with personal narratives to provide a nuanced, community-informed analysis of the barriers young people face. 

This work has already had an impact. Our reports have been cited in government policy consultations, used in sector training, and referenced by educators and service providers working to improve practice. Every stage of the research, from design to analysis to recommendation - was led by young people. 

Where to From Here? 

It is not enough to add diverse voices to existing systems. We must redesign those systems so that LGBTIQA+ young people can enter, speak, and lead. 

For organisations, services, and decision-makers, this means making concrete shifts in practice. 

Begin co-design processes from the outset, not after decisions have been made. Pay young people for their time and contributions, youth work is real work, and it deserves to be compensated. Create genuinely accessible environments, accounting for physical, sensory, cultural, financial, and gender-affirming needs. Centre intersectionality in every step of your work, not as an afterthought but as an embedded principle. And finally, reflect on your own power - who holds the final say, and how can that be shared? 

At YPN, we are open to partnership. Whether through co-designing services, collaborating on policy, contributing to our Safe Spaces Map, or accessing our resources, there are many ways to engage meaningfully with youth leadership. 

We end with an invitation and a challenge: What power or influence do you hold, and how can you use it to uplift LGBTIQA+ young people? 

Inclusion is only the beginning. Real transformation lies in systemic advocacy, structural reform, and a radical commitment to shifting power. 

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The Youth Pride Network (YPN) is auspiced by the Youth Affairs Council of WA (YACWA). To find out more visit https://youthpridenetwork.net/