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
An in-depth record of UK and US based anti-sexual violence service providers; we have supplied hotline numbers, what each service specialises in, their availability, and any other important contextual information.
Allies: How to Support a Survivor
Dedicated to allyship and supporters, drawing together guides from RAINN and FORGE on how to communicate with LGBTQ+ survivors.
Research
A collection of surveys, reports, and publications from the last 20 years or so which all investigate the overlap between sexuality and sexual violence. Engaging with these resources can enhance your understanding of the wider community and your place within it, but it can also be difficult emotional work, so please look after yourself if you decide to explore these links.
Resources
A shorter list of miscellaneous documents and pages that are (perhaps less directly linked but) still relevant to LGBTQ+ survivorship.
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.