Project lead: Diane Stoianov

Existing research repeatedly suggests that homosexual and bisexual people are at elevated risk of intimate partner violence (IPV), but the evidence on lesbians (specifically in the UK) is inconclusive, often because data on LGBT populations is not disaggregated by sex.

This project uses linear regression analyses of large-scale, national data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales to describe the prevalence and the types of IPV (e.g., physical abuse, financial abuse, stalking) experienced by lesbians compared to other sexual orientation groups by sex. Findings will help to paint a more granular picture of prevalence and risk among sexual minorities. 

Project lead: Diane Stoianov

There is evidence of both the normalisation of gender-based violence (GBV) and increasing lesbophobia within Bulgaria. Rates of GBV are worse than in most other EU countries, and there is a strong social rhetoric that feminism and sexual minority rights are a threat to Bulgarian society. Acceptance and support for sexual minorities has diminished rapidly in recent years. 

This mixed-methods project combines quantitative survey data and qualitative interview data from sexual minority women in Bulgaria to document their experiences of harassment/abuse, their attitudes and beliefs about the phenomenon, and the potential links between these experiences and demographic characteristics such as sexual orientation and gender presentation. 

Project lead: Priya Davda

Existing and early work on lesbian motherhood has focused on family planning and pathways to conception. This study collects qualitative interview data to explore a wider expanse of lesbian mothers’ voices and experiences, including how lesbian identity and parenthood intersect, the experiences of non-biological mothers, relationships with extended families and/or donors, and interactions with healthcare, education, and family services.