17/06/2026
This Pride Month, we want to talk about something that doesn't always get said loudly enough: sexual violence affects LGBTQ+ people at devastating rates, and too many survivors are still facing that door alone.
The statistics are stark. 17% of LGBTQ+ people have experienced sexual violence, and gay and bisexual men are more than twice as likely to have experienced it compared to men overall. Yet only 14% of gay and bisexual men who experienced sexual assault reported it to the police, and of those who did, nearly a third said they were disbelieved or not taken seriously.
Nearly 40% of LGBTQ+ survivors felt they couldn't tell anyone what had happened to them.
The barriers are very real: fear of not being believed, fear of being outed, and fear of discrimination from the very services that should help. Half of LGBTQ+ survivors did not seek support after experiencing sexual violence because they feared discrimination based on their sexuality or gender identity.
We want every LGBTQ+ survivor in our community to know: you will be believed here. You will be respected here. You do not need to justify your identity to access our support.
SARAC is proud to hold our LGBTQ+ accreditation, because inclusion isn't a token gesture. It is woven into everything we do.
If you need us, we’re here to listen. 💜