LGBTQIA+

These experiences can be shaped by discrimination, stigma, and barriers to accessing safe and inclusive support. We are here for you.

How SACL Supports You

SACL provides a free, confidential and inclusive service.

• You can share as much or as little as feels right for you about your gender, sexual identity, relationship status, or relationship type.
• We will not make assumptions about your experiences. We will ask and use your pronouns.
• Our Counsellor/Advocates will listen, believe you, and respect your choices
• We can support you to understand your rights, options and supports available to you.

You do not have to decide anything straight away. We are here to support you at your pace.

What is Sexual Harm?

Sexual harm is any sexual behaviour that happens without your consent. For LGBTQIA+ people, sexual harm can also include experiences that may not always be recognised or understood within mainstream definitions. This can include:

• Threats or acts of sexual violence intended to shame, punish, or "change" a person's sexuality or gender identity
• Experiences where gender identity or sexuality is used to silence, manipulate or discredit you
• Pressure or coercion to participate in sexual activity with others and/or a partner in sex-on-site premises
• Agreements and boundaries that are crossed in the context of kink and BDSM activities
• Body focused assaults where someone has intentionally focused or targeted a trans or gender diverse person's body parts linked to dysphoria to inflict harm
• Sexual assault in the context of medical care where a person has been asked to remove clothes or have body parts unnecessarily examined and without consent.

Sexual harm can be committed by anyone, regardless of their gender or relationship to you.

Understanding Barriers to Support

Some LGBTQIA+ people may face additional barriers when seeking support. These can include:

• Fear of not being believed or taken seriously
• Difficulty identifying what has happened as sexual harm
• Concerns about confidentiality or being 'outed'
• Worry about experiencing homophobic, biphobic, or transphobic responses
• Previous negative experiences with police, healthcare, or other services
• Services not being inclusive or making assumptions about gender and sexuality

SACL is open to feedback about how we can continue to grow with community in providing the best care and support for everyone.

Intersectionality Matters

SACL recognises that people's experiences are shaped by multiple aspects of their identity. Some LGBTQIA+ people may also experience prejudice and discrimination related to:

• Disability
• Age
• Cultural and linguistic background
• Neurodivergence
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity

These overlapping experiences can create additional barriers to support and impact wellbeing.

What We Know

Australian research has shown that LGBTQIA+ people experience disproportionately higher rates of sexual assault, with studies showing nearly 1 in 2 people having experienced sexual assault over their lifetime. Bisexual people, Transgender and Gender Diverse people and women are at higher risk, with over 80% of people causing harm identified as cisgender men.

Key Findings & Data (Australia)

• High Prevalence: 2025 research indicates 76% of LGBTQIA+SB (Sistergirl/Brotherboy) participants experienced some form of sexual violence in their lifetime.
• Intimate Partner Violence: Nearly 1 in 2 (48.6%) LGBTQ+ people aged 18+ reported being coerced or forced into unwanted sexual acts by an intimate partner.
• Targeted Violence: Approximately 30% of young LGBTQ+ people reported threats of sexual violence intended to "fix" their gender or sexuality.
• Workplace Harassment: A 2024 report found 77% of young LGBTQ+ people have experienced sexual harassment at work.

(Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, ANROWS)

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