Who is Project 10?
Project 10 works to promote the personal, social, sexual and mental well being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirit, intersex and questioning (2LGBTQ+) youth and adults 14-25.
Through advocacy and education, using a harm reduction approach, Project 10 aims to facilitate the empowerment of youth at individual, community, and institutional levels with a particular emphasis on supporting individuals and groups who experience multiple and intersecting oppressions.
Services are free of charge, confidential and anonymous, and are offered in English and French.
Project 10 envisions a world where 2LGBTQ+ youth are safe and empowered to become change makers through access to the resources, support and meaningful connections that allow them to explore their identities on their own terms.
Project 10’s story began when a gay youth in child protective services voiced that their needs were not being met. In 1990, two social workers at the Batshaw Youth and Family Centers responded by starting “Projet 10” as a pilot project to aid in STI and HIV prevention with LGB youth. Projet 10’s operations eventually split from Batshaw in 1999, became its own organization and formed its first board of directors.
Since then, Project 10 has continued to expand its services to meet the changing needs of 2LGBTQ+ youth in Montreal. Project 10 ran its first summer camp in 2001, and in 2003 the organization changed its mandate to officially include trans and gender questioning youth.
Thanks to the continued increase of funding since then, Project 10 has grown a lot! Recently with the help of the Government of Canada, we launched the Our Bodies, Our Stories program in Summer 2017. This arts and performance training and mentorship program for queer and trans youth of colour is emblematic of our longstanding priority to promote the holistic well-being for 2LGBTQ+ youth at the intersections of multiple oppressions.