Some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander or First Nations LGBTIQ people, sistergirls, and brotherboys may experience exclusion or discrimination in their community, friendship or family networks when they disclose their gender diversity, sexuality or intersex status. Conversely, others find their families and communities are a strong source of support.
Statistically, queer people are more likely to use alcohol and other drugs in recreational settings than the general population. We’re also more likely to find ourselves in periods of problematic usage of these substances. Fortunately, over many decades the LGBTIQ community has also built complex systems of community care into our social networks, to make the partying we do as safe as possible.
People with disabilities experience higher rates of violence, abuse and neglect then non-disabled people. In addition to issues relating to their LGBTIQ status, additional barriers exist for people with disabilities accessing family violence services. These circumstances sit alongside unique requirements to meet their needs.
Within our LGBTIQ+ communities, some of us are intersex. Intersex is not a reflection of a person’s sexuality. You might be intersex and queer, intersex and trans, intersex and multigender attracted, just as a person may be cisgender (identify with the sex assigned to them at birth) or not.
Feelings of loneliness may have nothing to do with your sexuality or gender identity but instead be related to family issues, ableism, racism or financial stress, for example. You may feel like no one understands you, that it’s hard to build friendships or form relationships.
Seniors Rights Victoria defines elder abuse as ‘mistreatment of an older person that is committed by someone with whom the older person has a relationship of trust such as a partner, child or other family member, friend or paid carer.’ Where the person is a family member or in a family-like relationship, such abuse will also be family violence.