"They Just Looked At Me Like I Didn't Matter"- The Experiences Of Assaulted LGBTQ+ Women With The Police

Research reveals that LGBTQ+ women are subjected to high rates of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). It is widely known that most victim-survivors of SGBV do not report it to the police and when they do, they usually have negative experiences, often due to the influence of myths and stereotypes on police officers’ attitudes and conduct. LGBTQ+ communities are known to be subjected to a multitude of myths and stereotypes that perpetuate violence against them, particularly in the case of highly marginalized subgroups (e.g., trans women, bisexual women). Little attention has been paid, particularly in the Canadian context, to the role of myths and stereotypes in LGBTQ+ women’s decision-making processes about whether to report SGBV to the police and experiences when it is reported. This thesis aims to address this gap and work towards practical solutions, through qualitative interviews with the frontline experts who support LGBTQ+ survivors.