Source - http://www.galop.org.uk/outagainstabuse/
I’ve always been close with my family but being out around them was like a big deal for me you know? It took me ages to build up that confidence to do it and to be my real self with them. My brother had always been there for me, always always, with so much love and support. He’d always push me to be my best and help me out. After I came out to my family, my brother turned on me. I was shocked. I just couldn’t believe someone from my own family could be like that to me, but worse it was my brother. It was like a switch just went boom and one minute he was fine with me and the next he was telling me I was disgusting, that we couldn’t be related because his family wasn’t sick… It was so bad, it just broke my heart.
Dad tried to step in, calm him down but mum didn’t want to know, said she didn’t wanna get involved. Things just got worse. He was calling me names, cussing me out, threatening me. He came in one night wasted when no one else was in and he just went for me, shouting, kicking me. I managed to get in the bathroom and locked myself in there for hours till someone came home. I was shaking, I was crying, I was a mess.
After that, I started avoiding going home, staying at friends places when I could, only going to the house like once a week. I felt so cut off, my family wasn’t safe any more. I got all these texts telling me I better not be at the house or he’d sort me out, threatening me. I couldn’t afford to move out but I couldn’t go back. I was running out of places to sofa surf, I was getting desperate now.
I found the number right when I was coming to the edge. I had nowhere else I could stay, I couldn’t get my stuff – I didn’t know what was going to happen next. Making that first call to get support was a lifesaver. I got housing support, I got a safety plan, I got someone to talk to who got me. It was like I didn’t have to start from square one, explaining every bit about me. They wanted to help me and they did, like so much. I’m not gonna say everything is perfect now, but I have someplace safe to stay, I have a therapist and I have my life. And it’s mine.
Thanks to our friends at Galop for this story
Visit http://www.galop.org.uk/ for further information or call
National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline
Monday to Friday - 10:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday to Thursday - 10:00am - 8:00pm
0800 999 5428