2.5.2.2 Supporting LGBTQIA Survivors

People who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex or asexual (LGBTQIA) can experience bias-related behavior such as hate violence or hate crimes.

LGBTQIA people may also be victims of sexual violence, intimate partner/domestic violence, homophobia, transphobia or heterosexist violence.

LGBTQIA people have diverse and intersecting races, ethnicities, classes, subcultures and sexual orientations as well as variations in gender identity and expression. Racism, sexism, classism and other forms of discrimination affect LGBTQIA people.

Their identities as members of the LGBTQIA community and as people of color, economically disadvantaged persons, men or women, etc. cannot be separated.

Survivors may experience violence because of their race, gender or class identity, their identity as LGBTQIA or, most often, because of all three.

Many countries have laws to protect LGBTQIA people; however, sexual violence against LGBTQIA people persists and is pervasive.

Much of this is either not understood or is ignored by the mainstream media and sometimes even by the service providers themselves. Most first responders (law enforcement, government agencies and healthcare providers) do not track data on sexual orientation or gender identity, so there is very little data.

The safety of all LGBTQIA survivors depends on recognizing, understanding and planning around the barriers that survivors face both because of violence and because of their identities.