Highland LGBT Forum


For the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender community
in the Highlands & Islands

Highland LGBT Forum

Scotland's LGBT Domestic Abuse Project
Scotland's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Domestic Abuse Project

LGBT Youth Scotland has a text message support service - simply text "info" to 07786 202370 and a trained youth worker will text you back.
LGBT Youth Scotland

Samaritans
Samaritans phoneline
08457 90 90 90
Available 24 hours a day,
7 days a week.
You can also email them.

Breathing Space phoneline
0800 83 85 87
Available 24 hours at weekends (6pm Friday - 6am Monday) and 6pm - 2am on weekdays (Monday - Thursday).

Breathing Space

LGBT Community Safety

Hate Free Highland
The Hate Free Highland web site has been developed to allow reporting of non-urgent hate incidents which have occurred in the Highland area. It is supported by the Highland Community Planning Partnership. The partners in this initiative include Northern Constabulary, NHS Highland, Highland Council and Highlands & Islands Enterprise.
So you can go to them and report any hate incidents/crime anonymously if you wish, these local agencies are third party reporters for Highland Free Highland and take specific and specialist approaches to homophobic and transphobic incidents:
Brook Highland - 77 Church Street, Inverness. Tel: 01463 242434.
Waverley Care - 34 Waterloo Place, Inverness. Tel: 01463 711585.
There is a very useful leaflet about how to report hate crime - click here to download it (PDF). All details will be kept confidential and you can choose to report incidents anonymously if you wish. More info.....

HATE CRIME
Legislation to tackle hate crime came into force on 24 March 2010. The Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Act 2009 extends existing statutory aggravations to cover offences motivated by prejudice in relation to disability, sexual orientation and transgender identity. This will give a greater range of aggravations adding to those already in force relating to racial and religious prejudice.
The Halt Hate Crime booklet has been produced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission in partnership with Equality Network and Stonewall Scotland.

SNN
The Scottish Netreach Network (SNN) is a group of agencies in Scotland that work with gay and bisexual men. Workers and volunteers offer online information on a wide range of topics including HIV, sexual health, relationships, safer sex, and coming out. It is not a counselling service. The SNN can also report gay hate crimes to the police on your behalf.
The SNN comprises six partner organisations in Scotland (Healthy Gay Scotland, Gay Men's Health, LGBT Youth Scotland, THT Scotland, ROAM, Open Road).
To contact the SNN online, visit their web site. You can also find them on Gaydar.

GAYDAR
If you use Gaydar and are concerned about safety issues, several police forces in Scotland have online profiles where you can get help:

Rape and Abuse Line (RAL)
Based in Dingwall, Rape and Abuse Line (RAL) aims to support survivors of rape and sexual abuse, however long ago their experiences were. They offer a free and confidential support helpline answered by women (0808 8000 123) as well as one answered by men (0808 8000 122). RAL also offers free face to face support and counselling sessions within a wide range of Highland and Island areas. They can also offer support to families or partners of the person affected.
Please note that these links are provided for information and that the web sites concerned do not necessarily represent the views of the Highland LGBT Forum and we are not responsible for their content.

Useful links include:

Domestic Abuse

Broken Rainbow

Depression

More links....

HIV:

More Health links....