Perspektiven queerer junger Menschen auf Unterstützung
摘要
While queer young people encounter specific needs and gaps in service provision, they also have access to relevant resources beyond professionalized support structures. The aim of this article is to examine how queer young people express their mode of action when seeking support and information within this field of tension, using the documentary method. The analysis is based on five group discussions with queer young people aged 16 to 27, conducted as part of the project QueerPar, which was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (2022–2024). By applying the comparative approach of the documentary method, the study analyzes how the groups articulate their practices of using services and seeking support, and the orientations structuring these practices. Three overarching collective orientations were identified, which differ primarily in their implicit perspectives on professionals and professional services, as well as on support within peer contexts. The way in which the relationship between peer-based and professional support takes shape is closely linked to whether the groups locate relevant helpful knowledge primarily within themselves and their communities, or with professionals.