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Joint statement about LGBTQ+ Domestic Violence and Abuse during Covid-19

May 6, 2020

Birmingham LGBT, Independent Choices, Durham University, RISE, Say It – Call it Out Project, Galop LGBT+, Stonewall Housing, Victim Support and the LGBT Foundation, have released a joint statement about LGBTQ+ domestic violence and abuse during the Covid-19 pandemic. The new resources created through this consortium aim to support domestic abuse professionals, as well as families, friends and community members who are witnessing abuse and want to help.

The statement is as follows:

Over the last month professionals and activists, agencies, policymakers and government have faced an extraordinary set of circumstances in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, including in relation to domestic violence and abuse. While work has been going on behind the scenes to ensure the delivery of services, the public face of much of the response has focused on reaching out to victims and survivors who find themselves isolated with an abusive partner to try and make sure that they know that help and support are available. Alongside this, there has been an increased emphasis on ensuring family, friends and neighbours also know how to recognise the signs of domestic violence and abuse and what they can do to help.

As a network of agencies and practitioners, researchers and activists, working on LGBTQ+ domestic abuse, we recognise this work is vital, and we will continue to work with our statutory and third sector partners to ensure that victims and survivors are supported.

We would like to support all those working on the response to domestic violence and abuse to continue to recognise the experiences of LGBTQ+ survivors. Research tells us that LGBTQ+ survivors can face a range of barriers to identifying their experiences, particularly if they are not explicitly represented in the public story of domestic violence and abuse.

We also know some LGBTQ+ survivors are more likely to reach out to friends or family, rather than domestic violence services or agencies like the Police, so it is important to ensure the communication to friends and families also recognises that domestic abuse affects LGBTQ+ people.

This is why we have developed the following advice and guidance:

This guidance is also useful for professionals and helpline operators who are receiving calls from friends/family who are LGBTQ+ either because they are being victimised by, or using violent/abusive behaviour towards their partner.

For a directory of LGBTQ+ specialist domestic abuse services in England please check Galop’s National LGBTQ+ Service Map which includes relevant links and contact details.

Galop also host an online LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Library, which includes direct links to resources relevant for LGBTQ+ people, service providers working with LGBT+ victims of domestic abuse and researchers interested in the topic.

We would also like to encourage all services to include information about specialist LGBTQ+ domestic abuse services, including the LGBT Domestic Violence Helpline (0800 999 5428 / help@galop.org.uk/ www.galop.org.uk/domesticabuse/) to their internal and external communications.

Signatories: Nik Noone, CEO of Galop; Peter Kelley, Head of Domestic Abuse Service at Galop; Jasna Magić, Research & Policy Development at Galop; Catherine Donovan, Professor of Sociology at Durham University; Heather Paterson, LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Development Worker at Say It – Call it Out Project; Elly Sinclair, LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Development Worker at Sat It – Call it Out Project; James Rowlands, Doctoral Researcher at University of Sussex; Maddi Scott, LGBT+ Specialist Officer at RISE; Rhys Dower, Domestic Abuse Co-Ordinator at LGBT Foundation; Sajida Bandall, Senior IDVA at Birmingham LGBT; Tiffany Parsons, LGBT IDVA at Independent Choices.

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