What is lesbian and gay and how it relates to our services
Lesbian refers to a woman who has an emotional, romantic or sexual attraction towards women. Gay refers to a man who has an emotional, romantic or sexual attraction towards men. It is also a generic term for lesbian and gay sexuality - some women use 'gay' rather than (or in addition to) lesbian. These terms relate to sexual attraction, which is defined as a combination of emotional, romantic, sexual or affectionate attraction to another person. Sometimes the acronym LGBT+ is used, which includes bi and trans people.
These and other useful terms are defined by Stonewall in their glossary. Terminology is updated regularly through usage and increased understanding of people's experiences, and it is important for practitioners to keep themselves informed.
Many lesbian and gay young people are aware of their sexuality from a young age, though they may not have shared this with anybody. Any of the young people you are working with may identify as lesbian or gay, but you should not make assumptions about any young person’s sexuality.
All young people want places to go and things to do in an environment where they feel valued, accepted and included. The Equality Act 2010 made sexual orientation a protected characteristic which means that any service provided to young people, whether publicly funded or not, cannot lawfully discriminate against lesbian or gay young people. In addition, the Act introduced the Public Sector Equality Duty, which means that services have to consider how they can address inequalities experienced by these young people.
‘Coming out’
The process of lesbian and gay people telling others about their sexuality is often referred to as ‘coming out’. Coming out to somebody can be very stressful, as young people may fear rejection or discrimination. For this reason, young people will often tell someone they trust and have confidence in. If a young person comes out to you, they may simply want someone to talk to about what can be a confusing and scary time for them, or they may want support in accessing further information, some of which is available through this guide.
It is important not to share information about a young person’s sexuality with other family members or young people without the young person’s consent. This includes sharing with other practitioners, for example on referral forms. Doing so without their consent is called ‘outing’ and can be very harmful. Sharing personal or sensitive information about someone without their consent could be a breach of their rights under data protection legislation. This should only be considered in exceptional circumstances, which should be discussed with your line manager and/ or safeguarding lead.
Barriers and difficulties lesbian and gay young people might face
A lot of lesbian and gay young people do not experience any difficulties with their sexuality, and are accepted by their family, friends and community. However, some may experience difficulties and an increased risk of poor outcomes. These difficulties may include:
- drug and alcohol misuse
- homophobic bullying
- mental health difficulties
- homelessness - the charity AKT estimates that around one in four homeless young people identifies as LGBT+ and 77% of these young people believe coming out to their family was the main factor in their becoming homeless
- domestic violence and abuse - lesbian and gay young people who are experiencing domestic abuse in their relationships may face additional vulnerability; if they have not told anybody about their sexuality, they may fear reporting the abuse in case they are 'outed', and this fear may be exploited by perpetrators. Young people may also fear domestic abuse from parents or family members if they are living in a homophobic environment
What is available for practitioners to support young people
Leeds has a youth group for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual young people aged 13 to 18 called ‘Out to 18’. The group meets regularly and offers both a safe space for LGB young people to socialise and receive 1-1 confidential support. Contact the Youth Service on 0113 378 6840 or email youth.service@leeds.gov.uk to request a leaflet or referral pack, or to request a call back. Young people can contact this group directly, they do not need to be referred by a practitioner.
Also in Leeds, the School Wellbeing Service has a number of resources on their website, including an A to Z guide of LGBT+ resources. They also run the annual My Health My School survey, which includes questions about the experiences of LGBT+ pupils, so that services can respond to any challenges identified. Forward Leeds provides support for young people and adults experiencing substance use difficulties.
Diversity Role Models is a charitable organisation that creates safe spaces where young people can explore difference and consider their role in creating a world where we all feel accepted. They offer student workshops that feature LGBT+ or ally role models who speak openly about their lived experiences, building young people's empathy so they can understand the (often unintended) impact of their language and actions. They also train school governors, staff and parents/ carers.
AKT provide support in relation to young lesbian, gay and bisexual people in relation to homelessness and living in hostile environments.
The Galop LGBT+ anti-violence charity provide advice and support in relation to same-sex domestic violence, hate crimes and sexual violence. Their domestic violence helpline is 0800 999 5428.
Find out more information about the Stonewall LGBT+ charity and resources that are available.
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