New LGBTQ+ Website Section

We are happy to announce the addition of a new, LGBTQ+ specific, section to our website! Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is defined by UNHCR as “any act that is perpetrated against a person’s will and is based on gender norms and unequal power dynamics.” The abuse stems from warped views on how masculinity and femininity ought to interact with each other in these systemic power unbalances, and we already have many resources relevant to this injustice on our website.

What we wanted to recognise and emphasise in this project, though, is that the LGBTQ+ community may be particularly at risk of SGBV; and that sexual orientation can be a factor in this harassment just as much as one’s gender. While our other resources can still help LGBTQ+ survivors, they will not speak to this intersectionality in the same way. As such, these pages are dedicated to highlighting and representing the added nuance and complexity of sexuality-based trauma, and we hope that it serves survivors as well as allies in their respective journeys toward healing and awareness.

We have broken our resources down into five subsections:

Experienced Violence and Challenged Sexual Identity

Centres around your personal relationship with your sexuality during, and after, sexual violence. Collated here you will find personal stories from LGBTQ+ survivors as well as a non-exhaustive list of the emotions and responses you may be experiencing – all in the hope of reminding you that you are never alone in your trauma.

Support

Allies: How to Support a Survivor

Research

Resources

A lot of research has gone into ensuring that this section is as thorough and accessible as possible, so we hope you find these resources as helpful and insightful as we did. However, if you think something is missing, or would like more extensive information on anything we have included, please get in contact through our email: ithappenshere@oxfordsu.ox.ac.uk.