Our community is our strength: First Nations LGBTQSB+ experiences of sexual violence and reporting

<p dir="ltr"><b>WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that this article contains references of deceased persons and content which may cause distress.</b></p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><p dir="ltr">In 2021–22, ACON in conjunction with researchers from the University of Melbourne and University of<br>Tasmania undertook the first comprehensive survey of NSW LGBTQ+ people’s experiences of sexual violence.<br>In this briefing paper, we document the specific experiences of First Nations participants. Having sufficient<br>First Nations participants has enabled us to scope their unique experiences of sexual violence. We outline<br>the nature and impacts of the sexual violence experienced by First Nations participants, their experiences<br>of disclosure and help-seeking, and what helped participants in healing from this violence. We also provide<br>suggestions for improving service provision to ensure that First Nations victim-survivors are appropriately<br>supported by mainstream, LGBTQ+, and First Nations services.<br>All participants quoted in this paper are First Nations.</p>