In 2023 LGBT Youth Scotland Celebrated 20 years as a charity. To mark that anniversary, we launched (Un)seen, (Un)heard – Scotland’s first archive dedicated to young LGBTQ+ people – to capture, collate and celebrate the lives of young LGBTQ+ people all over Scotland.

We want to ensure young people’s voices are preserved for future generations and celebrated across Scotland today. These stories will also be held by the National Library of Scotland and at local museums and archives nation-wide.

The submissions showcase the diversity of Scotland’s young people and highlights stories of young people coming to terms with their own identity and creating their own happiness. Stories of hope, and a desire for a more inclusive and welcoming Scotland, where people are free to be and love who they want without fear of stigma, discrimination, or physical danger.

These stories have been gathered in the form of art, poetry, oral histories, creative writing and more.

A common theme throughout the submissions is the importance of community and how LGBT Youth Scotland groups, Pride events, and safe online spaces have helped young people to cultivate their own communities. The stories illustrate how crucial friendships and family (including chosen family) are to young people’s sense of wellbeing, and how finding people who understand and accept them for who they are is essential for helping them come to terms with their own identity and creating their own happiness.