Meeting the needs of service users
LGBT people experiencing domestic abuse will have many of the same issues around accessing support, leaving an abusive partner etc., but there are some problems that LGBT people may face that are unique to them.
Issues and possible solutions
Potential Issues:
- A perception, which can be real or perceived, by many LGBT people when deciding whether to access support provision or protection is that they will they face homophobia, biphobia or transphobia.
- The media portrayal of domestic abuse is generally women being abused by men (as this accounts for the vast majority of people experiencing domestic abuse). This has also been the main focus of the gender-based approach. However, this can often lead to LGBT people not realising that what they are experiencing is actually domestic abuse, therefore they do not realise they can access certain services for help or even that they may need help.
- Many LGBT people may think mainstream service providers don’t know how to deal with their specific needs (many LGBT people have accessed mainstream services but not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity, and they remain hidden).
- Another concern for LGBT service users could be the fear of being ‘outed’. This is especially true down the criminal justice route where, if a case progresses, the details of the case are discussed in open court, and if a person was not ‘out’ in all sections of their life, e.g. out to friends and family but not at work, then this could be a real fear for them.
Potential Solutions:
Here are some possible solutions to make your service more inclusive for LGBT people experiencing domestic abuse and to challenge some of the issues:
- It is important that staff feel confident to address the issues facing LGBT people and feel competent to challenge discrimination. One method to ensure this is to provide LGBT Awareness and Equality Training. Training offers staff and colleagues the opportunity to explore some of the myths and stereotypes in society about LGBT communities and can help promote inclusive practice. More confident staff will feel able to take further steps to raise awareness of LGBT and feel equipped to reassure service users who may not be out to family and friends.
- To challenge homophobia/biphobia/transphobia could be to display LGBT anti-discriminatory posters and publicise your internal/external anti-discriminatory policies or strategies, including links to the LGBT Domestic Abuse Project Website. This sends out a positive message to service users and employees.
- To challenge the invisibility of LGBT domestic abuse both within the community and within some mainstream practices could also be the use of images of same-sex relationships or transgender people amongst any domestic abuse campaign posters. This work can still fit fully within the gender based approach. It might also help to display a Broken Rainbow Helpline poster (LGBT Domestic Abuse Helpline).
- Service providers can show that equality doesn’t mean treating everyone the same, and that they want to address LGBT people’s specific needs. This could be done by confidential equal opportunity monitoring forms which include questions on gender identity and sexual orientation (please see sample form in the policies section). Such forms can help service providers understand their service-users’ specific needs and make service users feel included within the organisation.
- All services, with the exception of criminal justice services, should promote their procedures of confidentiality, including confidentiality statements in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity. In terms of criminal justice services it would be helpful to promote what protections are available within the Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2004 for LGBT people experiencing Domestic Abuse.
All of these solutions together will make your service more LGBT inclusive resulting in LGBT people feeling safer to disclose their sexual orientation or transgender status.
