LGBT+ Helpline Calls Double As People Are Trapped With Abusive Families
The LGBT Foundation has seen calls double as people are trapped with their abusive families as a result of the coronavirus lockdown. It reported that in a five day period they received the highest amount of calls this year and expect the number to increase further in the following weeks, according to ‘Gay Times’.
Kayla Le Roux, a staff member for the LGBT Foundation, said: “We’ve had people ringing up because they’re concerned about the effect COVID-19 would have on existing health issues, people calling about being trapped with families or partners who are hostile to them, or just like everyone else scared about what the future holds.
“It’s great to be there for people providing that support and to be that lifeline for people, and I hope anyone out there who is feeling worried right now knows that the support is out there for them and we’re just a phone call away.”
Paul Martin, the chief executive of the LGBT Foundation, added: “We are seeing some young LGBT teenagers trapped in their homes with abusive parents and not even school to provide respite, trans people no longer being able to live as the gender they identify due to family pressures and people in same-sex relationships isolated with their abusive partner.
“We’ve also been spending time thinking about the most at risk members of our communities – people over 70, those with underlying health conditions, and those living in domestic abuse situations.”
He added that he wanted LGBTQ people to know they “weren’t alone” during this time, and urged those who needed help to contact the helpline.
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