Many respondents to the RHS LGBT+ survey reported witnessing or experiencing bullying, harassment or discrimination, either as a personal experience or as a witness. Many more indicated that they would not know what to do if they were in this position.
All higher education institutions or places of work should have policies to combat bullying and harassment, which provide a first port of call. This page offers additional suggestions of groups and organisations offering support, guidance and information.
Please note that provision of links to resources does not constitute endorsement by the RHS.
Organisations offering information and guidance
The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) is the independent public body for improving workplace relationships: https://www.acas.org.uk/discrimination-bullying-and-harassment
Advance HE. Formerly the Equality Challenge Unit, Advance HE’s charitable objective is to “support strategic change and continuous improvement through the development of individuals and organisations of higher education”: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/guidance/equality-diversity-and-inclusion
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE): https://publicationethics.org/core-practices.
The Crown Prosecution Service. Detailed guidance on homophobic, biphobic and transphobic hate crime: https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/homophobic-biphobic-and-transphobic-hate-crime-prosecution-guidance.
Equality and Human Rights Commission. Information about harassment: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/advice-and-guidance/what-harassment#h2
Gendered Intelligence: trans inclusion training for staff in schools, colleges, universities and youth services: http://genderedintelligence.co.uk/education/overview
LGBT Foundation: a national charity dedicated to advising, supporting and providing information for LGBT communities. The website also includes responses to policy consultations: https://lgbt.foundation
UK Equalities Office: (UK government papers including guidance and regulation of equalities, policy papers and consultation documents): https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/government-equalities-office
Stonewall: charity campaigning for lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality across Britain: https://www.stonewall.org.uk
TransEDU: An excellent source of resources and information for supporting trans, non-binary & gender diverse applicants, students and staff in Further and Higher Education: https://www.trans.ac.uk/
UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group: immigration advice for LGBT+ people living and working in the UK: https://uklgig.org.uk
Universities UK: https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-analysis/Pages/equality-diversity-inclusion.aspx
V&A. Guide to LGBTQ terminology: https://www.vam.ac.uk/info/lgbtq
Trade Unions
Public and Commercial Services Union: (for those working in the public sector including museums): https://www.pcs.org.uk/equality/equality-groups/proud-lgbt-members
Trades Union Congress: https://www.tuc.org.uk/campaigns/lgbt-sexual-harassment
University and Colleges Union: https://www.ucu.org.uk/equality
Support for LGBT+ Students
Just Like Us: Recruits and trains LGBT+ university students to be role models and student ambassadors: https://www.justlikeus.org
National Union of Students: representation of LGBT+ students and campaign to defend and extend their rights: https://www.nusconnect.org.uk/liberation/lgbt-students
The Proud Trust: https://www.theproudtrust.org. ‘The Home of LGBT+ youth’. Their website lists other organisations which provide support for LGBT+ people, including within different faith groups and also has a very brief timeline of trans histories (which starts in 1897)
Young Stonewall: information and events for LGBT+ people aged between 16 and 25: https://www.youngstonewall.org.uk
General Help, Support and Advice
The Education Support Partnership offers help to all teachers:
https://www.educationsupportpartnership.org.uk.
Helpline: 08000 562 561
National Bullying Helpline:
https://www.nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk/employees.html.
Helpline: 0845 22 55 787.
Samaritans:
https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/
Helpline: 116 123
Email: jo@samaritans.org
Switchboard: LGBT+ helpline
https://switchboard.lgbt/
Helpline: 0300 330 0630
Email: chris@switchboard.lgbt
MindLine trans+:
http://www.lgbtconsortium.org.uk/directory/mindline-trans
Helpline: 0300 330 5468
Equality Advisory and Support Service
http://www.equalityadvisoryservice.com/
Phone: 0808 800 0082
Textphone: 0808 800 0084