WATERLOO REGION — Members of the local LGBTQ+ community will soon be able to receive free legal advice.

A monthly legal aid clinic starts next week at Spectrum in Kitchener.

The free clinic starts at the group's Duke Street office and will take place on the fourth Tuesday of the month starting next Tuesday, Spectrum president Cait Glasson said.

The initiative began after people who attend Spectrum said they needed help, she said. Spectrum is a community space for the LGBTQ+/Rainbow community.

The three areas the civil lawyer will assist with include: refugees and newcomers; trans identification and name changes and government applications for items such as disability and old age; and disputes between landlords and tenants.

"In order to get good service, you have to be out to the person you are dealing with," Glasson said.

And for most, coming out is problematic, she said.

"It's risky because you don't know they are going to react," she said.

At the clinic and with the assistance of the lawyer, who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, those with concerns can feel heard and attend "a safe place," she said.

Glasson said newcomers need assistance with proving their orientation. Many come to Canada because they fear for their lives in their country because of their orientation, she said.

Spectrum holds a monthly newcomer group and about a dozen people attend, she said. Some come from London and Hamilton.

The clinic can help people fill out government paperwork on name changes. Glasson said that, in one case, a friend filled out the application three times before it was accepted.

The clinic will also assist those in economic hardship who need help with government applications for disability and in dealing with conflicts with landlords.

Those wanting to attend the clinic should email the Spectrum office.

Spectrum opened seven years ago, and about 150 people actively attend events at the centre, Glasson said.

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