Mobilising the Voluntary and Community Sector to Address the Unmet Needs of the UK LGBT+ Population during Covid-19.

长期以来，英国的LGBT+人群面临着严重的劣势和不平等。研究表明，英国LGBT+人群不仅更有可能经历安全和骚扰的威胁，而且更有可能有更差的心理健康结果，更经常地从事药物滥用，并受到无家可归和家庭拒绝的不成比例的影响(Hudson和Metcalf，2016；政府平等局，2018)。证据还表明，专业的风险投资部门组织是英国LGBT+人群的重要支持来源，因为由于担心不适当的待遇和歧视，女同性恋者、男同性恋者、双性恋者、跨性别者和非双性恋者不被鼓励和阻止获得主流支持服务(Hudson和Metcalf，2016)。英国初步的国际和小规模区域研究表明，新冠肺炎正在对本已处于不利地位的英国LGBT+人群产生显著的有害影响，导致封锁期间精神健康状况下降，家庭环境不支持对个人安全构成威胁，以及获得医疗保健和药物的问题(英联邦平等网络，2020；LGBT基金会，2020)。相应地，同性恋+风险投资行业组织报告称，由于新冠肺炎对关键且本已稀缺的法定和赠款资金产生了负面影响，因此对服务的需求前所未有，同时人员和资金也出现了流失和/或减少(TUC，2014)。在这种情况下，这个由NatCen Social Research and Consortium与石墙、LGBT+基金会和内部通信信托基金合作开展的项目将进行混合方法研究，以确定和探索新冠肺炎已经并将继续对英国LGBT+人群产生的影响，以及如何动员LGBT+志愿和社区(VC)部门来满足社区需求。这个项目将进行三个关键的研究方向。首先，它将整理和分析关于新冠肺炎对英国LGBT+人群自我报告影响的原始在线调查数据。这些数据由我们的合作伙伴组织在整个2020年4月至6月收集，并提供了有关新冠肺炎在心理健康、社会连通性、安全性和服务参与度等领域影响的英国最大数据资源。其次，该项目将开展焦点小组以阐明调查结果，对新冠肺炎对弱势群体的影响进行分类，包括老年和残疾LGBT+人群等。第三，它将直接与英国LGBT+VC部门合作；举办研讨会，探索研究结果，并制定国家战略框架，绘制社区需求和服务交付图，以确定如何动员该部门解决未得到满足的需求。

It has been long-established that the UK's LGBT+ population faces significant disadvantage and inequality. Research suggests that UK LGBT+ people are not only more likely to experience threats to safety and harassment, but are also more likely to have poorer mental health outcomes, to more regularly engage in substance abuse, and are disproportionately affected by homelessness and familial rejection (Hudson and Metcalf, 2016; Government Equalities Office, 2018). Evidence also suggests that specialist VC sector organisations are a crucial source of support for the UK LGBT+ population, as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and non-binary people are discouraged and prevented from accessing mainstream support services through fears of inappropriate treatment and discrimination (Hudson and Metcalf, 2016).Preliminary international and small-scale regional UK research indicates Covid-19 is having a significant detrimental impact on the already disadvantaged UK LGBT+ population, resulting in decreased mental wellbeing during lockdown, threats to personal safety as a result of unsupportive home environments, and problems accessing health care and medication (Commonwealth Equality Network, 2020; LGBT Foundation, 2020). Correspondingly, LGBT+ VC sector organisations report unprecedented demand for services, alongside a loss and/or reduction in staff and funding as Covid-19 negatively affects crucial and already scarce statutory and grant funding (TUC, 2014).Within this context, this project, undertaken by NatCen Social Research and Consortium, in partnership with Stonewall, LGBT Foundation and Intercom Trust, will undertake mixed-methods research to identify and explore the impact Covid-19 has, and will continue to have, on the UK LGBT+ population, and how the LGBT+ voluntary and community (VC) sector can be mobilised to address community need.This project will undertake three key strands of research. First, it would collate and analyse raw online survey data on the self-reported impacts of Covid-19 on the UK LGBT+ population. This data has been collected throughout April-June 2020 by our partner organisations and provides the largest UK data resource on the impacts of Covid-19 in areas such as mental health, social connectedness, safety and service engagement. Second, this project would undertake focus groups to elucidate survey findings, providing disaggregation on the impacts of Covid-19 on vulnerable sub-populations, including BAME, older and disabled LGBT+ people, amongst many others. Third, it will work directly with the UK LGBT+ VC sector; hosting workshops to explore research findings and developing a national strategic framework that will map community need and service delivery, to identify how the sector can be mobilised to address unmet need.