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Addressing domestic abuse must include LGBTQ+ people
Domestic abuse services must be inclusive of LGBTQ+ survivors, says Guy Stenson
One in four women and one in six men will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime. Anyone can be affected, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexuality or background.
Pre-pandemic estimates acknowledged that domestic abuse affected at least one in four lesbian, gay or bisexual people and up to 80% of trans people.
LGBTQ+ domestic abuse isn’t just violence from partners, it includes abuse inflicted by homophobic, biphobic or transphobic parents and households, according to LGBT+ anti-violence charity Galop, which runs the UK’s only domestic violence helpline for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Thousands are seeking help, said Galop, and some weeks the numbers contacting the helpline have been more than double those before lockdown.
From the start of the pandemic, at Stonewater we recognised that we needed to do all we could to keep our doors open to anyone who needed a safe space, in line with our vision for everyone to have the opportunity to have a place that they can call home.
“This innovative model challenges many of the established assumptions about what a refuge is and how it can be delivered, and will continue to influence how we support people in the future”
We introduced our extended domestic abuse service – the ‘virtual refuge’ – in May last year, creating additional capacity within our specialist accommodation for young adults, our retirement living schemes and in empty homes. This enabled us to match individuals who needed support to the right environment for them.
Everyone who comes to us has a warm and inclusive welcome with the continued support from our specially trained domestic abuse coaches, which can be delivered virtually and means we can identify the right coach for each person.
This innovative model challenges many of the established assumptions about what a refuge is and how it can be delivered, and will continue to influence how we support people in the future.
Janine, who is a trans woman, came to us having fled threats of serious domestic abuse in her family home. Her brother had been violent towards her on multiple occasions while they both lived in their father’s house, and she would go to stay with friends on these occasions.
However, on one occasion when she returned home to collect a few items of clothing, she heard her brother and father haggle over how much her father would pay her brother to kill her. Janine heard her father say: “I’m sick of always listening to your empty threats, if you’re going to kill it then do it, how much would it take? £1,000? More?”
“We remain committed to providing accommodation and housing support for anyone experiencing domestic abuse so that they can have a safe place to stay and receive the specialist support they need”
Janine recognised she needed to leave to save her life and found the courage to contact Galop, which helped her find her way to Stonewater’s dedicated LGBTQ+ Safe Space.
Since arriving with us, Janine has flourished, getting involved within the community with a local trans support group and helping to organise an International Women’s Day event. She was keen to volunteer and quickly identified the lack of support for older LGBTQ+ people locally, which led her to invite others to join a specialist local support group she has established.
Janine’s time with us at the LGBTQ+ Safe Space gave her the opportunity to take stock and with the support her coach provided, rebuild her life on her own terms. She has recently been offered a flat in a London borough where she can put down roots and build a new life.
Janine is just one individual we have been able to help, but we remain committed to providing accommodation and housing support for anyone experiencing domestic abuse so that they can have a safe place to stay and receive the specialist support they need.
Accredited by the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance, we have a long history of delivering specialist domestic abuse services in an inclusive way and actively champion initiatives to support those experiencing domestic abuse.
There is always more that we can do, especially for minority groups, which makes us all the more determined to establish more much-needed specialist LGBTQ+ services like our Safe Space and our virtual refuge.
Guy Stenson, director of housing operations, Stonewater
To make a referral to Stonewater’s inclusive domestic abuse service and LGBTQ+ Safe Space, call 01793 602170 or email extendeddomesticabuseservice@stonewater.org.
