New research by academics at Bristol University's Norah Fry Research Centre, working in partnership with Terrence Higgins Trust and REGARD, found significant barriers were put in the way of people with learning difficulties exercising their human rights to consenting same sex relationships.

The barriers included:

• Experiences of discrimination, harassment and bullying: Virtually every person with a learning difficulty who took part in the research said they had been bullied or harassed as a direct result of their sexuality. Much of the verbal abuse came from close family members. Half of the people interviewed had been physically or verbally abused by strangers on the street or on public transport. Experiences of depression and loneliness featured heavily in people's accounts. Two men spoke about trying to commit suicide and one woman had self harmed and thought about suicide.

• Lack of support: People wanted support to meet other gay, lesbian and bisexual people, go to pubs and clubs and groups and find boyfriends and girlfriends. However, the gay scene was felt by many to be unwelcoming and many staff were reluctant to see this work as part of their jobs.

• A failure on the part of many services who support people with learning difficulties to talk about, or do work on, sexuality and relationships and meet the required standards in this area. However, a small number of staff, in a minority of services, were doing thoughtful and innovative work.

Despite these barriers the desire to meet and get to know other people was one of the strongest messages from the research. Most people wanted to fall in love and have more gay and lesbian friends.

David Abbott, Research Fellow at the Norah
'"/>

Contact: Joanne Fryer
joanne.fryer@bristol.ac.uk
44-1-17-331-7276
University of Bristol
12-Apr-2005