HOMO-TRANSPHOBIA: GAY HELP LINE 21,000 CONTACTS: 41.6% RECEIVES FAMILY VIOLENCE, 11%
WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION, 12% ASSAULTS – MILAN ATTACKER SENT TO TRIAL –
WORLD DAY 17 MAY
On May 17, 2023, the 33rd International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia is celebrated around the world, and right now The attacker of the gay couple in Milan has been sent to trial. that the 20th May 2020 they were attacked punched in the face, suffering various bruises and injuries. This result was also achieved thanks to the collaboration between Gay Help Line and the Ministry of the Interior's OSCAD observatory.
Below we anticipate some of the main data obtained from the 21,000 contacts received in the last year from the service Gay Help Line 800 713 713 toll-free number against homophobia and transphobia, which will be presented in the Campidoglio in the presence of Roberto Gualtieri (Mayor of Rome), Mattia Peradotto (Presidency of the Council of Ministers – Director of Unar – National Office Against Racial Discrimination), OSCAD (Observatory against discrimination of the Ministry of the Interior), Monica Lucarelli (Councilor for Equal Opportunities), Michela Cicculli (President of the Equal Opportunities Commission), Marilena Grassadonia (LGBT+ Rights Office Coordinator) from Alessandra Rossi (Gay Help Line Coordinator) and Marina Marini (Refuge LGBT+ Manager).
2023 is the year in which Ilga Europe (international association for LGBT rights present at the UN), ranks Italy ranks 34th out of 49 European countries in terms of human rights protection policies and of equality for LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans) people.
Detection confirmed by alarming data from Gay Help Line 800 713 713 (gayhelpline.it) relating to the year 2022. It emerges that homophobia and transphobia are not stopping and the negative social impact of violence and discrimination on LGBT+ people is growing substantially. The most affected are the people trans, whose reports are increasing reaching 14.7% of contacts, especially young people and adolescents.
Of the total managed 41.6% suffers homophobic violence in the family after coming out: 31.6% of the victims are young people between 11 and 26 years old.
For 15% are LGBT+ minors to be a victim of domestic abuse prolonged over time and characterised by an escalation of violence: the house arrest even to the detriment of school attendance, attempts to conversion, the control that leads to the verbal and physical violence. In 5.7% of cases bullying homophobic has favored school dropout and only one transgender student in 5 has obtained the application of the “career alias” at school”, which provides permission to use pronouns and an alias name consistent with the student's gender in school documents.
For the 17% Young people who contacted Gay Help Line report having suffered the loss of financial support from their families: most of them were abandoned, and this compromised their studies and training. Of the approximately 400 cases of young LGBT+ people kicked out of their homes, only the 10% manages to find hospitality in protected family homes such as LGBT+ Refuge and Ornella's Home, our facilities, which welcome LGBT+ people and support them so that they can overcome the trauma they have suffered and achieve their own autonomy through training and job hunting.
In 12.6% of cases homophobic violence and discrimination have been the cause of social marginalization and
housing hardship even in the adult age groups (up to 70 years): the reception system's responses to the social consequences of homotransphobia are currently insufficient, particularly for trans people.
Of the 11.4% of reports of employment discrimination, 3 out of 4 cases involve trans people therefore the barrier to accessing the world of work is very high.
The 12% of reports concerns assaults, harassment and acts of homophobic hatred in public places or at the workplace, triggered by the visibility of the victims. Only 38% of the assault victims went to the emergency room after having suffered injuries and in most cases did not declare having suffered violence because they were LGBT+.
A fact that has remained constant over time is the difficulty for victims to report: the phenomenon of’underreporting (failure to report) has a worrying impact on the recognition of the extent of discrimination and violence.
In this time of intense social pressure, legislative measures to support LGBT+ people, who still lack protection against discrimination, hatred, and violence, are even more urgent.
The services of Gay Help Line, Refuge LGBT+, A Casa di Ornella, have had the support of UNAR - Presidency of the Council, Lazio Region, Municipality of Rome, Italian Buddhist Institute Soka Gakkai and Waldensian Church.
Alessandra Rossi – Gay Help Line Coordinator