LGBTQ+ Support and Resources

Introduction to sexual orientation and gender identities

Bi/bisexual: an umbrella term used to describe an emotional, romantic and/or sexual orientation towards more than one gender.

Cisgender or cis: someone whose gender identity is the same as the gender they were assigned at birth

Gay: refers to a man who has an emotional, romantic and/or sexual orientation towards men. Also a generic term for lesbian and gay sexuality – some women define themselves as gay.

Gender identity: a person’s innate sense of their own gender, whether male, female, non-binary or genderqueer. This may or may not correspond to their sex assigned at birth.

Intersex: a term used to describe a person who may have the biological attributes of both sexes or whose biological attributes do not fit what societal assumptions about what constitutes male or female. Intersex people may identify as male, female or non-binary.

Lesbian: refers to a woman who has an emotional, romantic and/or sexual orientation towards women.

LGBTQIA+: the acronym for lesbian, gay, bi and trans people. QIA stands for queer (an umbrella term), Intersex, and Asexual or Ace. The + encompasses genders inside and outside this binary.

Non-binary: an umbrella term for people whose identity doesn’t sit within the binaries of male or female. Non-binary identities are varied and can include people who identify with some aspects of binary identities, while others reject them entirely.

Sexual orientation: a person’s emotional, romantic and/or sexual attraction to another person.

Trans: an umbrella term to describe people whose identity is not the same as, or does not sit comfortably with, the sex they were assigned at birth. Trans people may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms, including (but not limited to) transsexual (this is a term that is a slur if used by someone who isn’t a member of the LGBT+ community), gender-queer, gender-fluid, genderless, non-gender, third gender (hijras), two-spirit (only in Native American cultures is this used) bi-gender, trans man, trans woman, trans masculine, trans feminine.

Gender affirmation surgery: gender affirmation surgery refers to procedures that help people transition to their self-identified gender, this might also be called transitioning.

Heteronormative/heteronormativity: denoting or relating to a world view that promotes heterosexuality as the normal or preferred sexual orientation.

What is domestic violence and abuse?

The UK government defines domestic violence and abuse as any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. Domestic violence and abuse can encompass, but is not limited to psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional. People can be affected by more than one abusive behaviour.

Domestic Abuse can have a long-term effect on children in the household, and it can also have repercussions on family and friends connected to those who have been subjected to violence and abuse.

Unique aspects of LGBTQ+ Domestic Abuse

There are some specific issues that are unique to the experiences of LGBTQ+ people, which may include:

• Threat of disclosure of sexual orientation and gender identity to family, friends, or work colleagues
• Increased isolation because of factors like lack of family support or safety nets
• Limiting or controlling access to spaces and networks relevant to coming out and coming to terms with gender and sexual identity
• The abused may believe they ‘deserve’ the abuse because of internalised negative beliefs about themselves, their gender identity or sexuality
• The abused may believe that no help is available due to experienced or perceived phobias of support services and criminal justice system
• The abused may think that service providers do not believe LGBT+ people are victims of domestic abuse
• Shame and honour-based abuse due to misconceptions or beliefs in relation to a person’s gender identity or sexuality

Examples of partner abuse:

• Manipulation to convince a partner that no one will believe their abuse is real because it is not the stereotype (for example male to female aggression)
• An abusive partner may manipulate their partner into believing that abuse is a ‘normal’ part of same-sex relationships
• Abusive partners can give the idea that the violence is mutual or that the abused partner consents to the abuse
• Abusive partner may threaten to call the police and claim they are the abused person
• Abusive partners can deny their relationship to outsiders in their own shame, purposefully keeping things secret

Abuse towards trans people:

• Withholding medication or preventing treatment needed to express victim’s gender identity (for example hormones and surgery)
• The abuser might refuse to use correct pronouns and prevent the abused from telling other people about their trans background or identity
• The abuser might use offensive names and ridicule a persons’ body image (body-shaming)
• The abuser might convince or manipulate their partner that nobody would believe them because they’re transgender
• The abuser might deny a person’s access to medical treatment or hormones or coercing them into not pursuing medical treatment
• The abuser might take away access to clothing and other items associated with gender identity, preventing them to express themselves freely