40% of LGBTQ+ domestic abuse survivors have no support from friends or family
LGBTQ+ people who experience domestic violence are often having to go through it alone, according to new research from Galop and YouGov.
Content warning: This story includes topics that could make some readers feel uncomfortable and/or upset. Two in five said that they had no support from friends or family, with a further three in five getting no professional help.
The study also found that LGBTQ+ domestic abuse survivors face a postcode lottery in terms of being able to access such professional support, with 81 per cent of those who have endured it being in parts of the UK where there are no specialist services for LGBTQ+ people. “Where I live there is hardly any support, and I would be scared of outing myself if I did get help,” one told Galop, the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ anti-abuse charity.
Many of those who did not try to seek out support said they were unsure of what was actually available to them, with one stating that “non-LGBT+ services looked at me like an alien”.
