LGBT+ History Month
- Gemma Gall
- Feb 20
- 2 min read
2025 marks the 20th Anniversary of LGBT+ History Month in the UK. The theme this year is ‘activism and social change’. In the Domestic Abuse Court Advocacy (DACA) Accreditation project, we have been undertaking some work to find out more about the challenges that LGBT+ victims/survivors of domestic abuse face when seeking to exercise their rights to access justice, and about how DACA services can best support LGBT+ victims/survivors.
Barriers
At present, we do not know the number of cases relating to LGBT+ victims of domestic abuse which are progressing through Scottish Courts. Statistics recorded by Police Scotland in 2023-24 note that 3% of 63,867 reported incidents involved a victim and suspected perpetrator of the same gender, but there is no breakdown available for victims who are bisexual, trans, non-binary or otherwise part of the LGBT+ community. What this tells us is that, at a minimum, nearly 2000 reports of domestic abuse related to LGBT+ victims, and the true figure may be much higher. It is also unclear how many of these victims have been referred to a DACA service.
We do know that one commonly cited barrier to reporting domestic abuse offences is a mistrust of, and lack of confidence in, the Police response[1]. Research has also shown that LGBT+ victims have high levels of risk and complex needs before they access support[2] but this did not translate to MARAC referrals.[3]
Statements are not enough
Research has shown that statements are not enough to be known as an inclusive service. Some ways your service can work towards being more inclusive for LGBT+ people include[4]:
Confidently asking about sexual orientation and gender identity at intake. This takes the burden of having to ‘come out’ away from the client. It will also help you not to make assumptions, for example, when a client refers to a partner from a different sex, this does not mean that they are not LGBT+. It will also help to understand any specific risks the client is facing as a result of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. For DACA services, clients may have specific concerns about the court process, such as being ‘outed’ whilst giving evidence. Knowing this information can help develop a safety plan that best meets the client’s needs.
Develop a clear policy on LGBT+ inclusion for your service, which is accompanied by training. This provides clarity for staff and supports consistency in response, and an agreed referral pathway.
Ensure your posters, leaflets, website and other resources are clear about who your service supports and consider displaying these materials in LGBT+ spaces.
Call to action
For more take aways from our work in this area, please email scotland@safelives.org.uk with the heading DACA LGBT+ Findings.
You can also use this poster in your workspaces as a way to remind staff about different language and terminology that may be useful.
[4] More ideas are available here: https://safelives.org.uk/resources-for-professionals/spotlights/spotlight-lgbt-people-and-domestic-abuse/
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