The Government Responded to Our Call for Action on LGBTQ+ Domestic Abuse

On the 31st of May, Pride in Labour wrote to Jess Phillips, the Minister for Safeguarding as part of the launch of our 'Love Is Not Abusive' campaign raising concerns about the barriers LGBTQ+ people face when accessing domestic abuse support. We shared recommendations for action, and a clear call for systemic change. We're pleased to say that we have now received a form response from the Minister.

Read our initial letter to Jess

Read the reply from Jess

Please note that parts of the letters are redacted to hide personal information, and details of a story of an LGBTQ+ survivor of domestic abuse.

The response recognises many of the issues we raised - from the lack of inclusive training across frontline services, to the vital need for specialist 'by and for' organisations like Galop.

But there is more work to be done. While we welcome some elements of the response, we remained concerned that the upcoming Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy will include violence against men, boys, and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. These are demographics which face very different risks, stigmas, and institutional challenges. We are calling for a separate, survivor-led strategy that centres the unique experiences of LGBTQ+ people.

We are drafting our response and will publish this soon. We have also requested a face-to-face meeting with Jess Phillips to continue this conversation. Survivors deserve more than recognition - they deserve action, safety, and dignity.

We will keep people updated on any future developments. You can find out more about domestic abuse within the LGBTQ+ community here, or find out more about our campaign by clicking here.