Bristol Voices: Kitt Burt

As part of the Bristol Voices series, Bristol Youth Council representative Kitt Burt reflects on the beautiful blend of culture and identities in Bristol that you can’t find anywhere else. 

Name: Kitt Burt

Where in Bristol are you based?
I live on the outskirts of Bristol in a little village called Warmley.

I identify my gender as: A gender

Tell us what you’re currently involved in and how you hope it can impact upon Bristol.
I’m currently the LGBT+ representative on Bristol Youth Council. We’re planning an equalities forum to bring together minority groups in the city to discuss how to overcome discrimination and exclusion.

I’m also an intern with Bristol Zero Tolerance where we’re planning a series of workshops to take to LGBT+ groups. The workshops will discuss how gender-based violence support services can be more supportive of LGBT+ communities.

Furthermore, I have been attending Freedom Youth for the last two years where I have contributed to a series of LGBT+ activism, from a short documentary explaining gender identity, to writing letters for Amnesty about the discrimination against LGBT+ people in Chechnya. We are currently mapping the gender-neutral toilets across Bristol.

What are the current issues and opportunities facing your area of Bristol?
There are quite a few issues facing the young LGBT+ population in Bristol. The most notable being the lack of funding. Youth services in Bristol are facing major cuts from the Council. This is going to limit the essential support that groups like Freedom Youth provide. This may leave vulnerable young people without the support they need. However, it’s not all doom and gloom – Bristol is certainly providing young LGBT+ people with lots of opportunities too!

Freedom Youth allows us to connect and get involved with the wider LGBT+ community. Bristol Pride was a great example of this; with the biggest turn out yet, it was an incredible opportunity to get involved with other projects in the city.

What do you like about Bristol?
I love how unique Bristol is. There is such a diverse range of people and everyone is free to express themselves resulting in a beautiful blend of cultures and identities that you can’t find anywhere else.

How could Bristol be better?
There is a housing crisis in Bristol. The lack of affordable housing is limiting who can live here. This is particularly a problem for young people renting for the first time. Homelessness is predicted to rise in Bristol by almost 200 per cent over the next decade, which is appalling. This needs to be addressed and tackled. Bristol is such an amazing city and it needs to be accessible for all.

Tell us something interesting about yourself.
I have a 10-week-old border collie puppy who is slowly destroying my house.

Do you have a piece of information or advice that you’d like to share with others?
Be un-apologetically you and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t express who you are!

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We want to hear and share your stories. Are you involved in a project or initiative in Bristol? Are their issues currently impacting on your area? Do you have some advice? Or simply something to share?

If you have a story to tell and want to be featured in Bristol Voices, please get in touch with caragh@bristol247.com

Read more Bristol Voices: Cheryl Morgan