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Charity Launches UK's First LGBT+ Rape And Sexual Abuse Helpline
Galop, a London based charity which works with LGBT+ victims who have experienced abuse and violence is launching the UK’s first ever dedicated helpline to support LGBT+ victims and survivors of sexual violence and abuse.
Charity Launches UK's First LGBT+ Rape And Sexual Abuse Helpline
New research by the charity shows that over half (53 per cent) of LGBT+ people in the UK have been subjected to sexual violence in their lives. With further research showing that more than half of LGBT+ sexual violence survivors surveyed felt that their assault was “wholly, or in part, linked to or motivated by their LGBT+ identity.”
Charity Launches UK's First LGBT+ Rape And Sexual Abuse Helpline
Galop also have uncovered that survivors who sought support from services which weren’t LGBT+ specific often had bad experiences and only 22 per cent being satisfied by their experience of reporting what happened to them.
Charity Launches UK's First LGBT+ Rape And Sexual Abuse Helpline
One LGBT+ survivor of sexual violence told Galop about their experience of accessing mainstream support: “There were a few times I felt like I was speaking a foreign language and had to explain some really basic stuff.”
Charity Launches UK's First LGBT+ Rape And Sexual Abuse Helpline
Lord Michael Cashman CBE, said: “Over the last decade, sexual abuse and the impact it can have on a person has received more awareness than ever before. Yet, the queer community have largely been invisible in these conversations. With that in mind, the launch of a helpline run specifically for LGBT+ people is groundbreaking.
Charity Launches UK's First LGBT+ Rape And Sexual Abuse Helpline
“I am personally reassured that any LGBT+ person facing this kind of abuse will now be able to access this much-needed support. When you’ve been through something as traumatic as sexual violence, the help you receive should be centered not only around understanding what you’ve been through, but also a knowledge and compassion for your identity and all the aspects of yourself that make you who you are.”
Charity Launches UK's First LGBT+ Rape And Sexual Abuse Helpline
Galop’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Helpline is now available Monday – Thursday 10am – 8:30pm, and Friday 10am – 4:30pm. Contact the Helpline by phone (0800 999 5428) or via email help@galop.org.uk.
Charity Launches UK's First LGBT+ Rape And Sexual Abuse Helpline
