Personal Safety

Our Top 10 LGBTQ+ Safety Tips 🏳️‍🌈

Empowered by Ashley - LGBTQ+ Community Safety Tips

It’s our human right to feel safe ✊🏻✊🏽✊🏿 #SummerSafetyForEveryone 

We are SO excited to have launched our Rainbow Lanyards as our way of celebrating Pride 2022! 🎉 In fact, we wanted to take the opportunity to discuss the safety of the LGBTQ+ Community in the UK.👇🏽

Unfortunately, even though social attitudes have come a long way over the last decade, we can’t help but notice the horrific statistics of sexual and physical violence harassment surrounding the LGBTQ+ community. 

 

DID YOU KNOW?

🏳️‍🌈 1 in 5 LGBTQ+ people have experienced a hate crime or incident because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity in the last 12 months. 

🏳️‍🌈 2 in 5 trans people have experienced a hate crime or incident because of their gender identity in the last 12 months. 

🏳️‍🌈 4 in 5 anti-LGBT hate crimes and incidents go unreported, with younger LGBT people particularly reluctant to go to the police.

EVERYONE deserves to feel empowered everyday. Enough is enough. So let us share with you, our Top 10 LGBTQ+ Community Safety Tips! ✊🏻✊🏽✊🏿

 

Seek Reassurance

1. Carry a Personal Safety Alarm for your own reassurance whilst you’re out and about. We have our very own Ashley Alarms which are not designed to sit quietly. Therefore, if you feel in a vulnerable situation where you could be attacked or hurt (mentally or physically), you can trigger your Ashley Alarm by simply pulling the pin to unleash a 130db siren and flashing strobe light.

You can carry your Ashley on your belt, bag, water bottle, dog lead or even our brand NEW Rainbow Lanyards

2. Tell a friend or family member where you are going if you are out and about on your own. Although it’s a shame we have to do this in today’s society, it’s always good to have someone that knows where you are. You can even share your location via your mobile or have a friend on speed dial in case of emergency. We especially recommend this if you are venturing out on your own at night or attending crowded areas alone. 

3. Drink spiking has also been highlighted as a common issue in the LGBTQ+ Community, so if you are looking to feel reassured when on a night out or whilst having drinks with friends, why not look into purchasing one of our Tipple Toppers. They are designed to prevent foreign objects from entering your drink such as date-rape drugs, bugs, sand and pets. 

 

Report it

Whether you experience any type of anti-social behaviour at school, college, the workplace or whilst out and about, tell someone. 

4. If you are bullied or harassed in school, we advise that you tell a staff member that you are comfortable with. Whether it’s a teacher, counsellor, or school nurse, the incident should be reported as soon as possible so they can put a stop to it before it progresses. 
5. If you are bullied or harassed at work, you are protected by the Equality Act of 2010, so you should report to your HR department, manager or welfare officer who will have to deal with the matter by law. 
6. If you are bullied or harassed on the streets, you are entitled to call the police. It is essential that ANY homophobic, biphobic or transphobic abuse, hate crime, bullying or violence is reported as soon as possible so the police can identify the assailant and stop them in their tracks to prevent it happening to another member of the LGBTQ+ Community.

 

Get Support

7. If you have been a victim of any form of LGBTQ+ abuse, talk to someone about your experience at an LGBTQ+ Support Group. You can find a support group here
8. If you have PTSD or any sign of a negative impact on your mental health as a result of a homophobic, biphobic or transphobic experience, speak to your local GP about getting help. They will be able to provide resources for face-to-face counselling sessions. 
9. If you are not comfortable talking about your experience in person, speak to someone online. There are so many counsellors available online and most of them are free. From our experience, we recommend the following online resources:
10. If you do not wish to use the above, try talking to someone you trust. Talk to a friend or a family member that you feel will provide you with the most support. 

 

It’s time to stand up for LGBTQ+ rights and accelerate change in LGBTQ+ Safety Statistics and their community.

For more information on LGBTQ+ Facts & Figures, read this article here. 👀

P.S. Don’t forget to tag @empoweredbyashley using the hashtag #SummerSafetyForEveryone for a chance to be featured on our socials! 📲

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