What Does LGBTQ+ Stand For?
Statistics of Sexual Abuse
in the LGBTQIA+ Community
Oppression
Systems of oppression contribute to higher rates of sexual violence. These systems include racism, sexism, and heterosexism, among others. For those impacted by one or more of these oppressions, the risk of sexual violence increases. Over half of non-Hispanic white lesbian women (58.6%) experienced contact sexual violence in their lifetime.
Survivors
One in five survivors of same-gender sexual assault and/or domestic violence received victim services. One of the most significant barriers to accessing services is the lack of affirming services. Additionally, LGBTQIA+ survivors face isolation, lack of visibility, lack of support, internalized stigma, fear, safety concerns, and denial of services including shelter. 46% of TGNC survivors felt uncomfortable seeking help from law enforcement and 28% have postponed victim services due to fear of discrimination.
Sexual Violence
- More than 1 in 4 lesbian women and almost 2 in 4 bisexual women reported to researchers they experienced rape during their lifetimes.
- 3 in 5 (almost 60%) of both lesbian women and gay men reported experiencing contact sexual violence
- 4 in 5 (almost 80%) bisexual women and over 56% of bisexual men reported experiencing contact sexual violence in their lifetimes.
Prevention
There is a critical need to address the broader societal norms and structural inequalities that create harmful environments for LGBTQ+ people. Prevention programs should include efforts to understand and dismantle systems of oppression, which contribute to higher rates of sexual victimization for people who are oppressed under those systems. A helpful resource:
We want our community to know that we are allies of the queer community and that our services are offered to all individuals no matter their race, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, or pregnancy-related conditions, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We treat those who seek our resources with equality!
What It Means to Be an Ally
The definition of allyship is:
The action of working to end oppression through support of, and an advocate for, a group other than one's own.
You do not have to follow a rule or script to be an ally of the LGBTQIA community. Only make sure you support those peers and individuals.
Allyship can be for many different groups and communities. The meaning of an LGBTIA community ally "is the practice of confronting heterosexism, sexism, genderism, allosexism, and monosexism in oneself and others out of self-interest and a concern for the well being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual people, Is founded on the understanding that dismantling heterosexism, monosexism, trans oppression/ trans misogyny/cissexism and allosexism is a social justice issue."