Thematic summary
Respondents to our survey described diverse support networks, but a strong majority reported relying primarily on friends and family, and for many, ‘chosen family’ provided the foundation for their support network, rather than biological family.
Points of support included people (such as doctors, carers, and mental health professionals), organisations (including LGBTI+ specific organisations), community spaces (both physical and virtual), and pets.
In addition to the universal human needs of practical, mental, and emotional support, LGBTI+ specific points of support (people, groups, and spaces) offered respondents feelings of safety, acceptance, mutual understanding, and the opportunity to thrive.
Pandemic lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 had several impacts on LGBTI+ respondents, especially on networks involving found family, medical care, and LGBTI+ community spaces. These impacts were intersectional – involving multiple factors relating to identity – and exacerbated issues many LGBTI+ respondents already faced, such as isolation
or alienation due to age or disability.
