Galop is launching a new helpline, providing support and advice for any in the UK who has experienced anti-LGBT+ abuse, violence, or harassment. The LGBT+ Hate Crime Helpline is open Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm, and can be reached on 020 7704 2040 or by emailing [email protected]. It is open to anyone in the UK who has experienced anti-LGBT+ violence, abuse or harassment and needs a safe space to talk. We can provide independent advice, support, and signposting to organisations that are local to you if you would like further help. Our helpline is run by LGBT+ people for LGBT+ people, and it is completely confidential. You can talk to our helpline team about abuse, intimidation, threats, harassment, or violence you’ve experienced because of your orientation or gender identity. It is operated by Galop, the LGBT+ anti-violence charity supporting people facing hate crime, domestic abuse and sexual violence. Find out more at www.galop.org.uk
Why now?
Even before the pandemic, hate crime against LGBT+ people was on the rise. Recorded anti-LGBT+ hate crime rose at twice the rate of other forms of hate crime in the two years before the lockdown. We know from research, both by Galop and by Stonewall, that the majority of LGBT+ victims of hate crime don’t report what has happened to them, so even these stark figures don’t represent the full picture. Our pre-lockdown polling showed that 1 in 10 people living in the UK felt that LGBT+ people are dangerous to others. We mustn’t fall into the trap of writing this off as trolls on social media – we see people in our services who have life-changing injuries due to the violence they have faced, those who have been forced to flee their homes, and those who have experienced blackmail and doxing because of who they are. Research shows, unsurprisingly, that the picture is even worse for the trans community, who face abuse from strangers in the street, from people in their workplaces or at home, and from coordinated groups.
What other services does Galop provide?
Galop provides support for LGBT+ victims and survivors of abuse and violence. We specialise in hate crime, domestic abuse and sexual violence, but we also work with victims of other kinds of abuse, including honour-based abuse, forced marriage, and so-called “conversion therapies”. We are the home of the National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline, as well as the new LGBT+ Hate Crime Helpline, both of which are open to any LGBT+ people in the UK who need advice and support about what has happened to them. Beyond the helplines, we do longer-term work with LGBT+ victims and survivors of abuse, working with them on their safety, advocating on behalf of our clients with statutory agencies, supporting people through the criminal justice system if they choose to pursue their case through the courts, and anything else needed to make sure that people are safe and able to recover. We also have a specialist Young People’s team working with people aged 13-25 who are victims of abuse. We work with around 8,000 LGBT+ people directly every year through our various services. We use our insight from this work and our own research to influence policy-makers nationally and locally to improve outcomes for LGBT+ victims and survivors of abuse and violence, and to make sure our community’s voice is heard.
Galop’s LGBT+ Hate Crime Helpline is open Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm. Contact the Helpline on 020 7704 2040 or email [email protected]
The National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline is open Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm, at 0800 999 5428 or at [email protected]
You can refer yourself to Galop’s advocacy services by filling in this form – www.galop.org.uk/report
Resources and more information are available on our website: www.galop.org.uk