June is Pride Month. Pride month is about acceptance, equality, celebrating the work of LGBTQ+ people, education in LGBTQ+ history and raising awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community.
Domestic abuse is an issue that affects the LGBTQ+ community and now is the time to learn about how to be fully inclusive in your business.
Galop, a specialist support charity for LGBTQ+ recognise that LGBTQ+ people may be manipulated into believing that there is no help available to them because they are LGBTQ+. They may also be told that abusive behaviours are ‘normal’ in LGBTQ+ relationships, or that LGBTQ+ cannot experience domestic abuse. Abuse from family members is sometimes not recognised as abuse and written off as a ‘family dispute’ or having ‘different’ values.
LGBT+ people experiencing domestic abuse might feel that domestic abuse services are not for them or may not understand what has happened to them. Abuse could take the following forms:
- Threatening to disclose your romantic or sexual orientation, gender identity, gender history, or HIV status without your consent
- Coercive and controlling behaviour around your romantic or sexual orientation and/or gender identity
- Pressuring you to keep your identity or relationship secret
- Denying that LGBT+ people in intimate relationships can experience domestic abuse
- Isolating you from family, friends, and the LGBT+ community
- Undermining your romantic or sexual orientation and/or gender identity
- Using your hormones or gender-affirming medication to control
- Trying to change or supress your orientation or gender identity
Galop have a wide range of resources available on their website, including fact sheets available in many different languages. Find out more here.
