LGBTQ & SEXUAL ASSAULTS
Sexual assault is extremely damaging to the victims/survivor's health/mental health and wellbeing who identify as LGBTQ. You may feel alone and scared but SAVAC is here to assist you with victim centered services to mold your needs and provide you with care and compassion through the entire process. Our advocates are with you from reporting, exams, counseling, advocacy, court hearings, STI, pregnancy testing and more all free of charge. Here are some statistics and survivors' stories. YOUR VOICE MATTERS and we are here to make sure you are HEARD! In honor of Pride Month, we would like to share some information that may assist you in being informed about sexual violence in the LGBTQ community.
4 in 5 (almost 80%) bisexual women and over 56% of bisexual men reported experiencing contact sexual violence in their lifetimes.
3 in 5 (almost 60%) of both lesbian women and gay men reported experiencing contact sexual violence.
More than 1 in 4 lesbian women and almost 2 in 4 bisexual women reported to researchers they experienced rape during their lifetimes.
About a quarter of gay men reported to researchers they experienced rape during their lifetimes.
One in 4 gay men and 1 in 5 bisexual men were made to penetrate someone else during their lifetimes.
47% of people who identify as transgender have been sexually assaulted at some point in their life.
12% of transgender youth report being sexually assaulted in K–12 setting
Survivors stories
Here are some survivor stories , you are not alone in this .
Youth
“More than half of all female victims and one-third of all male victims of contact sexual violence first experienced victimization before the age of 18, regardless of sexual identity. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth might experience violence at even younger ages. Nearly 1 in 3 lesbian and bisexual female victims and1 in 6 gay men reported experiencing their first contact sexual violence at the age of 10 or younger”. 2 out of 5 LQBTQ youth have reported that they have been forced to do some kind of “sexual act” in their lifetimes.
There is help
Creating safe, supportive, and inclusive environments for everyone is our goal to support sexual violence/assault survivors. Preventing sexual violence means we all must address deep-rooted abuses of power/ control that contribute health, safety, and mental health. If you or someone you know may be experiencing sexual violence or you need support, please contact us at 706-419-8775 for 24-hour support and resources. If you are anyone you may know needs advocacy and support, we are here 24 hours to support you. I hope this blog brings you some comfort and support to know there are resources in your community to assist you in this time.