Supporting a Survivor
A survivor’s queerness should not necessarily affect the way you support them.
However, there are some subtle differences you could incorporate into your communication to be more inclusive, and it will likely mean the world to the person you are helping.
This could range from pronoun usage to considering whether your friend is out yet, and many other cases in between.
RAINN
RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) has three useful sections on allyship: ‘Ways you can support LGBTQ survivors’; ‘Supportive things to say to a survivor’; and ‘Tips for Talking with Survivors of Sexual Assault’. Translations into Spanish are also available.
FORGE
FORGE provides a comprehensive guide for partners and friends of trans and non-binary sexual violence survivors which covers trauma, self-care advice, and information about trauma treatment. You can download the pdf here. They also have eight tips for addressing violence against transgender and non-binary people addressing the importance of carefully chosen language. You can find that here.
VAWnet
If you are an advocate, activist, affiliated with an organisation, a policymaker, or a community member, you may find VAWnet’s well of resources on improving services for LGBTQ+ survivors helpful to your allyship.