Normally, one's own family should be a place of refuge. A study from Great Britain shows that this is not always the case. According to a recent survey conducted by the anti-abuse organization Galop, every third (!) queer person in Great Britain is mistreated by their family because of their sexual orientation.
The study surveyed 5,000 people. The result gives a shocking impression of what happens away from the public eye and how much pressure people have to live with every day.
What does "abuse" mean in this case?
The term "abuse" is broad. Many define it differently. In the context of the survey, physical violence and verbal attacks were summarized under this. In most cases, the perpetrators were either the parents of the queer victims or other close relatives.
A look at the age of the queer victims is also simply staggering. Thus, two thirds were still minors when they became victims of abuse for the first time.
What are the consequences of abuse at this age?
It is impossible to foresee the far-reaching consequences of abuse at this age, which can still be very young. It is likely to be particularly stressful because the perpetrators are not "just anyone", but because they come from the closest environment and are actually people with whom it should be possible to open up and experience trust.
In addition, it can be assumed that the number of queers who experience violence at home and at a young age is even higher. Many do not dare to report what happens to them. Accordingly, they are not listed in the statistics.
A closer look at the individual cases shows that abuse - whether physical or verbal - can appear in a wide variety of facets. Victims often talked about being controlled, insulted and laughed at by their parents. Others told that at some point their parents forbade them to have visitors - for fear that homosexual acts might take place in their youth room.
Transsexual people are particularly often victimized
Trans youth appear particularly often in the statistics surrounding abuse within their own families. Non-binary people are also represented comparatively often.
Among other things, some of them were also forced to undergo a so-called "homo cure". This is a type of "therapy" that has already been officially banned in many countries because it can put extreme strain on the psyche of those affected.
One problem that abuse within the family brings is that the victims usually have no way to escape the situation. Many of them are simply too young to decide to move out, for example. Therefore, the actions often extend over a period of several years and leave deep scars on the soul.
Now some things are to change...
... at least if it's up to numerous activists who campaign for the rights of queer people in Great Britain. They demand that in the future there should be more contact points for victims of domestic queer violence. The aim is for those affected to know who they can turn to. At the same time, the possibilities for rapid and uncomplicated support should be greatly expanded.
Last but not least, the desire for more education also plays an important role. In Great Britain as well as in other countries of the world, many people are still not aware of how enormously high the pressure is in connection with discrimination and violence in everyday life. In the future, the aim here will be to raise more awareness in order to improve the situation for queers - regardless of their age.