Coronavirus lockdown: LGBTQ people face hostility and loneliness
A couple of days ago I was on the phone with Rajesh, a friend of mine (not his real name). Rajesh, 25, has just had to move back in with his parents. They had thrown him out of the house in Birmingham on learning he was gay.
This article appears in the Conversation.
Despite a move to London, the job he had started no longer exists and with difficulty finding accommodation since the COVID-19 lockdown he has reluctantly had to move back, a situation he describes as “dire”. Rajesh’s story is far from unique.
Many LGBTQ people are being forced to move back into unsafe domestic spaces. Charities such as the Albert Kennedy Trust recently advised young people to “press pause” on coming out “until you get support”. While the crisis has raised significant concerns for everyone, it has brought additional barriers for LGBTQ people, especially those coming from BAME backgrounds who face disproportionate levels of homelessness. Insecure employment brings further levels of marginalisation.
The crisis has created an unprecedented situation which has seen many LGBT people isolated without any support structures. Several BAME LGBTQ people I have spoken to in the last few days have told me of their dread at having to move away from their families of choice – and sometimes back into old, hostile situations – as they are forced into isolation. LGBT people are significantly more susceptible to mental health issues due to discrimination and inequalities. This is only exacerbated through social isolation...
Loughborough University is equipped with a live in-house broadcast unit via the Globelynx network. To arrange an interview with one of our experts please contact the press office on 01509 223491. Bookings can be made online via www.globelynx.com
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2019 QS World University Rankings, University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2019 and top in the country for its student experience in the 2018 THE Student Experience Survey.
Loughborough is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 4th in the Guardian University League Table 2020, 5th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019 and 8th in The UK Complete University Guide 2020.
Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.
A couple of days ago I was on the phone with Rajesh, a friend of mine (not his real name). Rajesh, 25, has just had to move back in with his parents. They had thrown him out of the house in Birmingham on learning he was gay.
This article appears in the Conversation.
Despite a move to London, the job he had started no longer exists and with difficulty finding accommodation since the COVID-19 lockdown he has reluctantly had to move back, a situation he describes as “dire”. Rajesh’s story is far from unique.
Many LGBTQ people are being forced to move back into unsafe domestic spaces. Charities such as the Albert Kennedy Trust recently advised young people to “press pause” on coming out “until you get support”. While the crisis has raised significant concerns for everyone, it has brought additional barriers for LGBTQ people, especially those coming from BAME backgrounds who face disproportionate levels of homelessness. Insecure employment brings further levels of marginalisation.
The crisis has created an unprecedented situation which has seen many LGBT people isolated without any support structures. Several BAME LGBTQ people I have spoken to in the last few days have told me of their dread at having to move away from their families of choice – and sometimes back into old, hostile situations – as they are forced into isolation. LGBT people are significantly more susceptible to mental health issues due to discrimination and inequalities. This is only exacerbated through social isolation...
Loughborough University is equipped with a live in-house broadcast unit via the Globelynx network. To arrange an interview with one of our experts please contact the press office on 01509 223491. Bookings can be made online via www.globelynx.com
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2019 QS World University Rankings, University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2019 and top in the country for its student experience in the 2018 THE Student Experience Survey.
Loughborough is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 4th in the Guardian University League Table 2020, 5th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019 and 8th in The UK Complete University Guide 2020.
Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.
