Available online 23 November 2022, 101408

Author links open overlay panelAbstractBackground

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and asexual (LGBTQA+) people with disability report greater levels of abuse than those without disability.

Objective

This study sought to further understand these experiences by examining factors associated with experiences of abuse among LGBTQA+ adults who reported a disability in Australia.

Methods

A national survey was conducted that included 2,629 LGBTQA+ people who reported a disability aged 18 years and older, with data collected on experiences of verbal abuse, sexual assault, and social exclusion in the past 12 months as well as demographic characteristics.

Results

Of participants with disability, 42.5% reported experiencing verbal abuse, 17.4% sexual assault, and 50.3% social exclusion based on their sexuality or gender identity in the past 12 months. From multivariable analyses, verbal abuse was significantly more likely among trans women and non-binary participants and among those classified with more severe disability. Sexual assault was significantly more likely among those who lived in a rural area or had a higher income. Social exclusion was significantly more likely among those who were trans woman or non-binary, identified as bisexual, aged 18-24 years, or born in an English-speaking country other than Australia.

Conclusions

These findings illustrate contexts for heightened risks of specific forms of abuse and highlight an urgent need to understand and address experiences of abuse and their consequences among LGBTQA+ people with disability.

Section snippetsFunding:

The Private Lives 3 study, from which these data are drawn, was funded by the Victorian Government Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Services. Supplementary analyses of data pertaining to experiences of abuse among people with disability were made possible by funding from the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.

Sample and procedure

Participants for this study completed Private Lives 3 1, a national cross-sectional online survey that examined the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ people in Australia aged 18 years and older. The study was granted ethical approval from the [redacted for peer review] University Human Research Ethics Committee, the Thorne Harbour Community Research Endorsement Panel, and the ACON Research Ethics Committee. The survey was informed from input by an Expert Advisory Board and a Gender Advisory

Materials

The following items were included from the Private Lives 3 survey for the analyses reported in this paper:

Disability. Participants completed the Standardised Disability Flag Module (SDFM)18. The SDFM was developed by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare as a standard measure to provide a consistent approach to the definition and concepts related to disability across services and programs for identifying people with disabilities or long-term health conditions who experience limitations

Descriptive statistics

Data from 2,629 LGBTQA adults with disability were analysed. Table 1 displays descriptive statistics for all study variables. As shown, just over one-third (35.8%) of participants with disability identified as lesbian or gay, followed by around one-quarter (24.4%) as bisexual and 16.3% as queer. Almost half (47.1%) were cisgender women. More than 10% were either trans women or trans men and 21.6% were non-binary. A majority of participants were aged between 18 and 34 years, lived in either the

Discussion

This study examined experiences of self-reported abuse among LGBTQA+ adults with disability in Australia, namely verbal abuse, sexual assault, and social exclusion on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. In a large national survey, substantial proportions of the sample reported having had these experiences in the past 12 months; 42.5% reported having experienced verbal abuse, 17.4% sexual assault, and 50.3% social exclusion. These were higher compared to the sample of

Conclusions

In all, LGBTQA+ people with disability in this study reported high rates of experiences of verbal abuse, sexual assault, and social exclusion in the past 12 months. A range of subgroups were identified as particularly at risk, including trans women, trans men, and non-binary participants, as well as those who identified as bisexual, were aged younger, or lived in rural areas. Importantly, associated factors varied depending on the type of abuse, which highlights a need for further research to

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