Members of the LGBTIQ community are offering their traumatic experiences of abuse and discrimination on social media in an effort to ground the postal survey in real-life ramifications.
Earlier this week, Australian Rugby Union, alongside other sporting codes, publically backed the yes campaign. In reaction, star Wallaby Israel Folau tweeted that unlike his team, while he’ll “love and respect” everyone, he’ll be voting no.
In response, comedian Josh Thomas started the hashtag #TheyGetToVote, urging gay people to share their experiences as a reminder that a no vote is incongruous with respect.
Hundreds of people have shared their distressing instances of harassment, bullying and discrimination – some of which are mainly disturbing for the normalcy of it. Each tweet is a stark reminder that members the LGBTIQ community’s experience is very different to those who claim they feel “bullied” by yes campaigners.
Stories of physical abuse are common:
Stories of bullying and blatant discrimination are also prominent:
While these stories are confronting, they are representative of the gay experience, as supported by research.
In comparison to the general population, psychological distress experienced by LGBT people is significantly higher.
Young LGBTI people are five times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population, and transgender people aged 18 and over are a staggering nearly eleven times more likely.
Statistics surrounding mental health are also sobering: LGBTI people over 16 are nearly three times more likely to be diagnosed with depression and over three and a half times more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety than the general population.
If you or anyone you know is suffering, contact Lifeline (lifeline.org.au) on 1311 14 or visit Headspace at (headspace.org.au). Visit Beyond Blue at (beyondblue.org.au) or call 1300 22 4636. You can also contact the Kids Help Line on 1800 55 1800.
