Supporting LGBTQ+ young people with disability: What service providers need to know
Sensitive content warning
This paper discusses some of the issues that LGBTQ+ young people with disability face and covers topics such as harassment and bullying, sexual assault, poor mental health, self-harm and suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800. Both are available from anywhere in Australia 24 hours a day (toll free) and provide generalist crisis counselling, information and referral services.
QLife, 1800 184 527, provides anonymous peer support and referral services for people who identify as LGBTIQ+.
The Suicide Call Back Service, 1300 659 467, offers free professional 24/7 telephone counselling support to people at risk of suicide, concerned about someone at risk, bereaved by suicide and people experiencing emotional or mental health issues.
Call Police on 000 any time you are worried about your safety or the safety of another person.
Overview
This resource is aimed at practitioners, service providers and other professionals who work with young people with disability and/or LGBTQ+1 young people.
The resource covers:
- what intersectionality is and why it's important when it comes to LGBTQ+ young people with disability
- what the research says about the key issues experienced by LGBTQ+ young people with disability
- practice considerations for better supporting the wellbeing and needs of LGBTQ+ young people with disability.
Key messages
- LGBTQ+ young people with disability may hold several intersecting identities and social positions. These individuals are often discriminated against or marginalised due to these identities.
- Discrimination and societal marginalisation can contribute to LGBTQ+ young people with disability experiencing multiple challenges, including poor mental health, suicidal ideation, self-harm behaviours, bullying and harassment and lack of social inclusion and support.
- LGBTQ+ young people with disability often experience challenges accessing safe and appropriate care that meets their needs.
Research highlights the need for service providers across both mainstream and LGBTQ+ led services to increase their awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ young people with disability. This includes:
- recognising and acknowledging structural barriers, such as heterosexism and ableism, that negatively affect LGBTQ+ young people with disability
- assessing how inclusive and safe practices and service settings are and making changes to ensure a safe, inclusive and accessible environment
- recognising the unique experiences of each individual and avoiding generalising or making assumptions based on a person's external appearance.
Person-first and identity-first language
In Australia, person-first language; for example, 'people with disability', is commonly used when discussing disability. Person-first language places a person's identity before their disability and focuses on a person's right to an identity beyond their disability or impairment (Department of Families, Fairness and Housing [DFFH], 2022). However, some people feel that person-first language provides an individualised understanding of disability (DFFH, 2022). Many Autistic and neurodivergent people have voiced strong preferences for identity-first language; for example, 'Autistic people', because they feel that autism is a core part of their identity (Amaze, 2018).
This resource adopts a dual approach that uses person-first language to respect the preferences of many people with disability, particularly people with intellectual disability (DFFH, 2022), but uses identity-first language whenever we refer to autistic and neurodivergent people. However, each individual has the right to decide how they are described and these terms are not used by all people with intellectual disability or all autistic people (Strawa & Lancaster, 2024).
Introduction
The National Action Plan for the Health and Wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ People 2025-2035 (Department of Health and Aged Care [DHAC], 2024) highlights the urgent need for health and social care service providers to improve their accessibility, safety and inclusion for LGBTQA+ people and to recognise and address the diverse intersectional identities and experiences of the community.
Research consistently shows that LGBTQ+ young people2 with disability experience higher rates of harassment, poorer mental health outcomes and increased suicide risk than both LGBTQ+ young people without disability and the general population (Argenyi et al., 2023; Hill et al., 2021; King et al., 2018; Renley et al., 2024a).
Further, young people can find accessing safe and affirming care that recognises both their LGBTQ+ identity and disability difficult (Baczewski, 2023; Hill et al., 2021;). This is due, in part, to experiences of bias or negative attitudes from service providers, as well as structural and systemic barriers to service access (Hill et al., 2022).
Despite facing significant challenges, LGBTQ+ young people with disability demonstrate resilience, adaptability and strength. By fostering inclusive environments and understanding the unique needs of each individual, service providers can deliver more responsive and affirming care that will contribute to improved wellbeing for this cohort.
This resource aims to support professionals and organisations who work with young people with disability and/or LGBTQ+ young people.
How many young people in Australia identify as LGBTQ+ and have disability?
The exact number of LGBTQ+ young people with disability in Australia is currently unknown due to limited national data collection (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2022). To date, no Australian census has included questions about sexual orientation or gender identity;3 however the ABS recently released its first ever estimates of LGBTI+ Australians (ABS, 2022). These findings suggest that 10% of 16-24 year olds and 4.5% of those 16 years and older identify as LGBTI+.
There are no national level data to suggest how many of these young people also have disability; however, according to the Writing Themselves In 4 national survey, the largest survey of LGBTQA+ young people in Australia, 39% of LGBTQA+ young people in Australia (aged 14-21 years) reported having disability or a long-term physical or mental health condition (Hill et al., 2021).4
Nature of the evidence
This resource is based on a rapid scoping review of the research evidence on the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people with disability. It draws on published Australian and international literature from the past 10 years (2015-25), including academic journal articles and grey literature. Further details on the review method are provided in the Appendix.
Overall, there is limited research on the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people with disability. Most existing research is from the USA, is cross-sectional (single point in time) and of varying quality.
Our review identified slightly more quantitative studies than qualitative studies and few mixed methods studies. While few quantitative studies involved population representative samples, most studies included large samples of LGBTQ+ young people (i.e. >2,000 individuals) and compared health and social outcomes between LGBTQ+ young people with and without disability. Qualitative studies were often exploratory in nature, with most examining the school/education experiences of LGBTQ+ young people with disability. (Table 1 in the Appendix outlines the included studies.)
What is intersectionality and why is it important?
'Intersectionality theory' is a key framework that researchers and others use to describe how different aspects of a person's identity - such as race, gender, class, sexuality and disability - interact to create unique systems of discrimination or disadvantage (Crenshaw, 1991). For example, this resource explores the intersection of youth with LGBTQ+ identity and disability. This framework can help practitioners understand the multiple forms of discrimination (homophobia, transphobia, sexism and ableism) and disadvantage that LGBTQ+ young people with disability often face in their day-to-day lives (Toft, 2019).
While this approach can be useful in explaining the multiple and overlapping forms of discrimination and disadvantage an individual or group may face, it is important to highlight that individuals who have the same broad intersectional identity, such as LGBTQ+ young person with disability, will each have unique experiences of discrimination and disadvantage. For example, an Autistic transgender adolescent woman will have a different experience to a gay adolescent man with an intellectual disability.
A person's experience will also differ according to other aspects of their identity or circumstances, such as their socio-economic status or racial, ethnic or cultural background (Gates et al., 2023). For some people, these aspects of their identity or circumstances can further contribute to their experience of marginalisation and discrimination.5
In addition, gender identity and sexual orientation are not fixed and can change over time. This means an individual's day-to-day experiences and service needs may also change (Baczewski, 2023; Ingram, 2019). Despite this, intersectionality can be a useful approach to understand not only the multiple identities of LGBTQ+ young people with disability but also the way they experience the world.
Minority stress model
Another useful approach that has helped researchers and others understand the experience of marginalised individuals and groups is the minority stress model.
This is an approach often used by researchers studying sexual and gender minority health and wellbeing (Brooks, 1981; Meyer, 2003). The model has been used to examine the various social, psychological, institutional and structural factors (i.e. stressors) that can create a hostile and stressful environment. This environment can subsequently contribute to poor mental health outcomes among sexual minority populations, including young people (Amos et al., 2020; Hunter et al., 2021; Kelleher, 2009; Meyer, 2003; Mongelli et al., 2019).
The minority stress model describes 2 types of stressors (Frost & Meyer, 2023; Meyer, 2003):
- distal stressors are external factors that contribute to stress, such as being treated with disrespect, experiences of verbal or physical violence or being subject to laws and policies that discriminate on the basis of LGBTQ+ identity.
- proximal stressors are internal factors that contribute to stress, whereby individuals internalise others' negative beliefs about them. This can lead to behaviours such as young people hiding or concealing their identity to protect themselves from discrimination or feeling stress and anxiety due to fear of rejection.
The model also notes that individual- and group-level coping mechanisms (e.g. social support, resilience) can reduce the negative impacts of minority stress.
Taken together, intersectionality theory and the minority stress model are useful for understanding the experiences of LGBTQA+ young people with disability (Schmitz et al., 2020).
Emerging research suggests that young people with multiple marginalised identities, such as LGBTQ+ young people with disability, disproportionately experience adverse events related to minority stress (Renley et al., 2024a). This research is summarised in the next section.
What are the key challenges faced by LGBTQ+ young people with disability?
Australian and international research has highlighted a range of challenges experienced by LGBTQ+ young people with disability (Slothouber et al., 2025).
Much of the research in this area has focused on this cohort's experiences of bullying, discrimination and harassment and/or the effects of bullying and discrimination on young people's mental health and wellbeing. There is also emerging research on barriers to young people's service access and engagement.
Few studies have focused on protective factors for wellbeing.
The following sections outline in more detail some of what the evidence says about the key challenges experienced by LGBTQ+ young people with disability.
Bullying, harassment and discrimination
Several studies have reported high rates of harassment and bullying of LGBTQ+ young people with disability (Bucchianeri et al., 2016; Hill et al., 2021).
- An Australian study of 2,500 LGBTQA+ young people (aged 14-21 years) with reported disability found that 48.4% of participants had experienced verbal harassment or abuse, 12.4% physical harassment or abuse and 29.7% sexual assault or harassment (Amos et al., 2024). These proportions are higher than those for LGBTQA+ young people without a disability (Hill et al., 2021).
- A US study of 162,034 adolescents examined the prevalence of different types of harassment experienced by high school students (i.e. based on gender, race/ethnicity, weight or physical appearance, sexual orientation and disability status) (Bucchianeri et al., 2016). It found significantly higher rates of harassment reported by lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer (LGBQ) adolescents compared to heterosexual adolescents. In addition, disability-based harassment was higher among LGBQ adolescents compared with heterosexual adolescents.
Poorer mental health and suicide-related behaviours
The evidence suggests that experiences of bullying and/or discrimination can contribute to negative mental health and suicide-related behaviours (Amos et al., 2024).
The research also suggests that, on average, LGBTQ+ young people with disability have poorer mental health outcomes than LGBTQ+ young people without disability. For example:
- A US study of 9,418 young people (aged 13-17 years) who identify as a sexual and/or gender minority found that participants who reported disability had greater depressive symptoms, lower self-esteem, poorer health and sleep, and a higher likelihood of cannabis and cigarette use than those without disability (Argenyi et al., 2023).
- A US study of 3,108 students (grades 9-12) found that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) youth with disability were 5 times more likely to report poor mental health than LGB youth without disability (Gates et al., 2023).
Research also suggests a link between suicide and self-harm related behaviours and sexual or gender minority identity and disability. For example, a US study found a higher risk of suicide ideation among students who identified as both having disability and identifying as a sexual minority, compared to students who had either disability alone, a sexual minority identity without disability or neither identity (Higgins Tejera et al., 2019). This suggests that having a dual identity may be associated with heightened negative experiences that increase the risk of suicide ideation.
An Australian study of LGBTQA+ young people (aged 14-21 years) found that higher proportions of LGBTQA+ young people with disability experienced suicide ideation, suicide attempts and self-harm (in the past 12 months and in their lifetime) than those not reporting disability (Hill et al., 2021).
Specifically, 88.3% of LGBTQA+ participants reporting disability had experienced suicidal ideation in their lifetime compared with 69.4% not reporting disability (Hill et al., 2021). In comparison, data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children suggest that among all Australian young people (aged 14-19 years), 34% have reported ever having suicidal thoughts and behaviours (Swami et al., 2025).
Barriers to health, education and social service access and engagement
Some research has explored the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people with disability in health, education and social service settings. Overall, these studies have reported that LGBTQ+ young people with disability often have unmet needs and experience barriers to accessing appropriate health, education and social supports (Baczewksi, 2023; Cappotto & Rinaldi, 2016; Milne, 2021; Mulcahy et al., 2023).
The evidence says that some of the barriers to service access, or to adequate care when in contact with services, include:
- Service providers' having negative/unhelpful attitudes and stereotypes. This can include, for example, assumptions that young people with disability do not have sexual desires, have less need for sexual and reproductive health services or that people with disability are heterosexual (Ride & Newton, 2018).
- Service providers or educators not using an individual's name or pronouns, which are an important aspect of their identity. This can include assuming pronouns based on appearance or using different pronouns to what a young person has said they use (Milne, 2021). For trans and gender-diverse clients this can include using their legal rather than preferred name. This can impact an individual's self-esteem and willingness to engage with services (Milne, 2021).
- A lack of support and accommodation of disability needs (Capotto & Rinaldi, 2016; Kuvalanka et al., 2018). For example, not providing learning support teachers or sign language interpreters for students with hearing difficulties (Capotto & Rinaldi, 2016)
- Service providers having a lack of confidence, knowledge or skills in providing supports to LGBTQ+ young people with disability (Baczewski, 2023; Ride & Newton, 2018).
- Young people with co-occurring disabilities can face additional barriers to accessing appropriate services due to a lack of service provider knowledge or expertise in addressing their multiple needs. For example, a qualitative study based in the USA of 20 LGBTQ+ Autistic young people with co-occurring mental health conditions or disability described the difficulties they experienced finding mental health practitioners that understood their identities and needs (Baczewski, 2023). Participants reported that some practitioners were unwilling to work with them due to a perceived lack of autism expertise (Baczewski, 2023). Some participants also reported they often had to educate practitioners about their identities and had to navigate the attitudes and beliefs of practitioners to ensure they felt 'safe' in their interactions with them (Baczewski, 2023).
Even when services are set up to meet specific needs (e.g. youth, mental health and/or LGBTQ+ support), they may not always understand or adequately cater for the needs of young people with an intersectional identity. For example, an Australian study of 2,500 LGBTQA+ young people with disability found that less than half (44.2%) felt that LGBTQA+ social or community venues made it easy or very easy for them to use (Hill et al., 2021).
Considerations for practitioners and support services
Practitioners and other professionals in child and family services have an important role to play in supporting the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ young people with disability. However, there is a need for service providers across both mainstream and LGBTQ+ led services to better understand the unique barriers faced by LGBTQ+ young people with disability as well as their specific support needs (DHAC, 2025).
Based on our review of the still emerging research literature and practice resources, we provide some general practice considerations below.
This is not an exhaustive list, nor is it designed to give medical or psychological expertise and advice on working with this cohort. However, it aims to provide general guidance to support practitioners and service providers.
Practitioners and service providers should:
- Increase their awareness and knowledge of the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people with disability and the issues they face (Gates et al., 2023; Hill et al., 2021). This includes recognising and acknowledging the structural barriers; that is, heterosexism and ableism, that impact them regularly (Baczewski, 2023).
- Recognise the unique experiences of each individual and avoid generalising or making assumptions based on external appearances (Commissioner for Children and Young People WA, 2023).
- Reflect on their own beliefs and attitudes about gender, sexuality and disability and how these may affect how they engage with the people in their service. Many services operate on binary gender models, which exclude or marginalise trans and gender diverse individuals (Commissioner for Children and Young People WA, 2023). For example, many service intake forms don't include non-binary or gender diverse as an option.
- Encourage clients/service users to contribute to their support plans. This can involve asking clients upfront about their preferred communication styles and regularly obtaining feedback on how things are going to build trust and a safe environment (Baczewksi, 2023).
- Use positive and affirming language. This includes using an individual's name and pronouns (Parsons et al., 2021). Practitioners can share their own pronouns as a way of showing young people they value gender diversity. This may help them feel comfortable in sharing their own gender identity. Try to use gender neutral and inclusive language; for example, ask about a young person's partner or parents rather than gendered language such as boyfriend/girlfriend or mum/dad (Parsons et al., 2021).
- Provide a safe, inclusive and accessible environment, keeping in mind both visible and invisible disabilities such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia (Amos, 2024; Dykes & Thomas, 2015; Hill et al., 2021). For LGBTQ+ young people with disability this involves both meeting an individual's disability needs and creating spaces that are LGBTQ+ inclusive. For example, ensure physical access to buildings, providing low sensory spaces and fidget toys, and training staff on inclusive language and terminology.
- Identify and refer individuals to appropriate peer support groups or networks to help them find others who may be going through similar experiences (Sturchio, 2020; Toft et al., 2019). Check with individuals about how they'd like to connect with these groups (online or in-person).
- Consider providing information and support to the young person's parents/carers and family members (Harwood, 2019; Hill et al., 2021; Prosser, 2019). Greater support from families can be a protective factor for young people's wellbeing (Greenspan et al., 2023; Powell et al., 2025).
Further readings and resources
- Understanding identity exploration among LGBTQ+ young people with disability.
This resource discusses the importance of identity exploration and formation in young people's wellbeing. It includes practice considerations that will help ensure services better meet the needs of all young people - irrespective of their gender, sexuality or disability. - Writing themselves in 4: The health and wellbeing of LGBTQA+ young people in Australia.
The national report of the results from the survey Writing Themselves In 4 by the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University - Our Rainbow Lives - Inclusion Melbourne.
An introduction to LGBTIQA+ identity, experiences, sexuality, gender and bodies for people with intellectual disability and their supporters - National Action Plan for the Health and Wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ People 2025-2035.
The national plan from the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing - Disability Inclusion - LGBTIQ+ Health Australia.
Co-designed by and for LGBTIQ+ people with disability, a digital advocacy resource to support LGBTIQ+ people with disability and their communities - How to Support LGBTQ Young People with Disabilities.
A guide on how to support LGBTQ+ young people with disabilities - Advocacy at the Intersections Training - Drummond Street.
Training provided by Drummond Street for a fee and tailored to organisations - LGBTIQA+ resources - Yooralla.
Resources for people with disability and staff to learn more about how they can support LGBTIQA+ clients and employees
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Strawa, C., & Lancaster, C. (2024) Understanding behaviours of concern for children with disability. Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies aifs.gov.au/resources/practice-guides/understanding-behaviours-concern-children-disability
Sturchio, B. (2020). Navigating LGBTQ+ and disabled intersections online: Social support and identity construction in the age of social media. Masters Thesis. University of South Maine
Swami, N., Faulkner, A., Slade, T., Vukusic, S. & Hoq, M. (2025). Suicidal thoughts and behaviours in adolescence (Growing Up in Australia Snapshot Series - Issue 14). Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
Toft, A. (2020a). Parallels and alliances: The lived experiences of young, disabled bisexual people Journal of Bisexuality 20(2), 183-201.
Toft, A. (2020b). Identity management and community belonging: The coming out careers of young disabled LGBT+ persons Sexuality & Culture 24(4), 1893-1912.
Toft, A., Franklin, A., & Langley, E. (2019). Young disabled and LGBT+: negotiating identity Journal of LGBT Youth 16(2), 157-172.
Toft, A., Franklin, A., & Slater, J. (2020). "You're not sure that you are gay yet": The perpetuation of the 'phase' in the lives of young disabled LGBT people Sexualities 22(5-6), 785-800.
Appendix: Summary of review method and included studies
Review method
This resource is based on a rapid scoping review of the research evidence on the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people with disability. The review method used was based on the Cochrane rapid review guidelines (Garritty et al., 2021). These guidelines were adapted to fit the project's scope and aims. Stakeholder consultations with researchers and peak bodies were conducted to inform the topic scoping process.
Research questions
The following research questions guided the review (and this resource):
- What are the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people with disability, particularly in relation to their health and wellbeing?
- What are the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people with disability when engaging with services (e.g. health, social and education services and organisations)?
Search strategy and search terms
The search strategy and inclusion criteria were based on 3 concepts: disability; sexual orientation and gender identity; and young people/adolescents.
In February 2025, the research team conducted a systematic search of the peer-reviewed literature (published January 2015 to March 2025) using the Australian Institute of Family Studies' Catalogue+ database portal.
Data screening and extraction
The researchers used Covidence, an online research review tool, to manage the literature screening process.
To reduce the risk of bias, 2 reviewers screened the same 10 articles (at both the title abstract and full-text stages) using the study selection criteria (Table 1). The reviewers discussed and resolved any discrepancies before moving on to the next stage of the review.
Data from the included studies (Table 2) were extracted to Microsoft Excel. This included population characteristics, study design, factors/outcomes, key findings, practice implications and limitations.
| Inclusion criteria | Exclusion criteria |
|---|---|
Studies were included in the review if:
| Studies were excluded from the review if:
|
Data analysis
The researchers used Microsoft Excel to analyse the extracted data from the included studies and identify key themes and patterns among study characteristics, measures and findings. Studies were extracted and initially compared and analysed separately according to study method (i.e. quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods).
A narrative synthesis was conducted based on the research questions and themes emerging from the data. Themes were reviewed and refined by the authors.
The research team did not conduct a risk of bias assessment or quality appraisal of included studies. Therefore, the quality of the studies included in the review was not assessed and considered in the synthesis of findings.
| First author, year | Country | Study population characteristics | Outcomes/Study aim | Key finding(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantitative | ||||
| Amos, 2024 | Australia | 2,500 LGBTQA+ young people with disability, age range 14-21 years | Verbal, physical and sexual harassment or abuse and suicide attempt |
|
| Argenyi, 2023 | USA | 9,418 SGM adolescents with disability, age range 13-17 years | Mental health, physical health and substance use |
|
| Bucchianeri, 2016 | USA | Overall: 162,034 adolescents, 5th, 8th, 9th and 11th grade students. Sexual minority (including LGB, and discordant heterosexual) n = 1,952; adolescents with disability n = 15 | Harassment |
|
| Gates, 2023 | USA | Overall: 3,108 LGB young people, age range 12-18 years, LGB young people with disability n = 1,935 | Cyberbullying, sadness, hopelessness |
|
| Greenspan, 2023 | USA | 31 TGD autistic youths, age range 13-17 years | Psychological wellbeing, life satisfaction |
|
| Higgins Tejera, 2019 | USA | Overall: 10,386 year 11 students, sexual minority youth with disability n = 497 | Suicidal ideation |
|
| Hill, 2021 | Australia | Overall: 6,418 LGBTQA+ young people, age 15-21 years LGBTQA+ young people with disability n = 2,500 | Safety in educational settings, psychological distress, harassment (verbal, physical, sexual), assault (verbal, physical, sexual), suicide attempts, disability support |
|
| Hill, 2022 | Australia | 2,500 LGBTQA+ young people with disability, age range 14-21 years | Experiences of disclosures, support and acceptance; safety in educational settings; experiences of harassment, abuse and discrimination; family violence; mental health and suicidality; community connection |
|
| King, 2018 | USA | Overall: 11,364, age range 14-18 years, LGBQ young people n = 730, LGBQ young people with disability n = 250 | Suicidal ideation, peer victimisation, school connectedness |
|
| Lawrence, 2023 | USA | 80,456 year 9 and 11 students | Bullying (physical and relational) |
|
| Lim, 2025 | Australia | 6,481 LGBTQA+ young people, age range 14-21 | Homelessness |
|
| Marino, 2024 | Australia | 6,388 young people, age range 10-17 years | Gender, sexuality, mental health, disability |
|
| May, 2017 | Australia | 3,454 young people, age range 14-15 years | Sexual attraction among adolescents with autism |
|
| McClellan, 2025 | USA | 65 binary transgender adolescents, age range 13-21 years | Sexual and gender minority (SGM) stigmatisation |
|
| Palmer, 2016 | USA | 7,898 LGBTQ young people with and without disability, age range 13-21 years | School discipline, dropping out of school, justice involvement |
|
| Renley, 2024a | USA | 9,318 SGM youth, age range 13-17 years | LGBT-based victimisation, disability-based bullying, dating violence, school safety, average stress |
|
| Renley, 2024b | USA | 4,502 GM youth, age range 13-17 years | Family support, gender identity, disclosure and identity disclosure stress |
|
| Salafia, 2024 | USA | 2,239 SGM youth with a disability, age range 13-17 years | Bias-based bullying |
|
| Strang, 2023 | USA | Overall n = 93 adolescents, age range 13-21 years, evenly divided between 3 groups: 1. autistic-transgender, 2. autistic-cisgender, 3. non-autistic-transgender | Emotional internalising (including anxiety and depression), suicidality |
|
| Strauss, 2021 | Australia | 859 transgender young people with and without autism, age range 14-25 years | Psychiatric diagnosis, current psychopathology, self-harming and suicidal behaviour, abuse, bullying, discrimination, employment issues, significant loss, isolation, isolated from services, unstable accommodation, lack of family support |
|
| Qualitative | ||||
| Baczewski, 2023 | USA | 20 LGBTQ+ young adults with autism, age range 18-28 years | Explore the mental health care experiences of Autistic LGBTQ+ young adults, including barriers and facilitators to receiving care |
|
| Barry, 2019 | Canada | 40 LGBTQ2S year 9 and 10 students (most identified as having a disability) | Explore how LGBTQ2S young people can use fashion hacking to explore their intersectional identities |
|
| Cappotto, 2016 | Italy | 15 LGBT deaf young people, mean age 24.5 years | Understand the experiences of deaf LGBT youth in Sicily, focusing on their school years and peer interactions |
|
| Guttmann Kahn, 2015 | USA | 8 high school students with disability who identify as LGBTQ, age range 14-18 years | Examine how multiple marginalised identities influence sense of self and school experience |
|
| Harwood, 2019 | UK | 10 parents of 7 autistic-transgender young people, age range (of child) 11-18 years | Explore the experiences of parents who have an adolescent child with autism who has socially transitioned to their self-identified gender. |
|
| Ingram, 2018 | USA | 9 transgender young people with disability, age range 16-22 years | Gain understanding of the lived experiences of transgender youth with disabilities in high school |
|
| Kuvalanka, 2018 | USA | 3 mothers of transgender and gender-nonconforming children with autism, age range (of child) 8-12 years | Understand mothers' experiences of raising a transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) child with autism |
|
| Mazur, 2022 | USA | LGBTQ+ emerging adults with various disabilities, age range 19-30 years | Explore online dating experiences of LGBTQ+ emerging adults with a disability |
|
| Milne, 2021 | UK | 6 Autistic gender diverse young people, age range 16-26 years | Explore the experiences of Autistic gender-diverse young people in the UK, particularly their experiences in education settings |
|
| Ride, 2018 | Australia | 9 health professionals and professionals from disability focused organisations | Explore health professionals' perceptions of the barriers and enablers to young people with disability accessing sexual and reproductive health services |
|
| Strang, 2019 | USA | 31 adolescents with gender dysphoria and autism, age range 12-19 years and n = 46 supportive parents (30 mothers and 16 fathers) | Employ community-based participatory research (CBPR) methodologies to develop clinical group program |
|
| Sturchio, 2020 | USA | 15 LGBTQ+ young people with disability, age range 15-31 years | Explore how LGBTQ+ young people with disability use social media for social support and identity formation |
|
| Toft, 2019 | UK | 13 LGBT+ young people with disability, age range 16-25 years | Amplify the voices of young disabled LGBT+ people |
|
| Toft, 2020a | UK | 13 LGBT+ young people with disability, age range 17-25 years | Amplify the voices of young disabled LGBT+ people |
|
| Toft, 2020b | UK | 15 LGB young people with disability, age range 16-25 years | Amplify the voices of young disabled LGBT+ people |
|
| Toft, 2020 | UK | 30 LGBT+ young people with disability, age range 16-25 years | Explore the perceptions and strategies towards coming out by young disabled LGBT+ people |
|
| Mixed methods | ||||
| Abbott, 2024 | UK | Study 1: Overall n = 56 adults who identified as LGBTQI+ and disabled Study 2: Overall n = 12 young adults who identified as LGBTQI+ and disabled and 11 personal assistants (PA) | Explore young disabled adults' views about managing issues of sexual and gender identity with their PA | Study 1
Both studies
|
| Bottema-Beutel, 2020 | UK | 248 autistic young people; LGBT n = 41. 43.5% aged 18-22 years and 55.6% aged 23+ years | Explore autistic young people's perspectives on the impact of autism, school professionals, family members and peers on their high school experiences |
|
| McDermott, 2017 | UK | Overall, 789 LGBT young people, age range 13-25 years, with disability n = 199 |
| |
Notes: ASD = Autism Spectrum Disorder; GM = Gender Minority; LGB = Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual; LGBTQ2S = Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Two Spirit; SGM = Sexual and Gender Minority; TGD = Trans and Gender Diverse
1 The term LGBTQ+ is used throughout this resource to refer to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual/bi+, transgender and gender diverse or queer/questioning. Different acronyms are used only when referring to specific research or policies that used other acronyms such as Writing Themselves In 4 and the National Action Plan for the Health and Wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ People 2025-2035. In these instances, the 'I' stands for intersex and the 'A' stands for asexual. Although the authors acknowledge that LGBTIQA+ is a more inclusive term, research on the experiences of intersex and asexual individuals is limited and represents a significant gap in the literature.
2 The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW; 2021) defines 'young people' as those aged 12-24 years. This paper draws on research that predominately involves populations aged 12-24 years, although some studies included individuals as young as 10 years and as old as 31 years (see Table 2 in the Appendix).
3 In 2026, questions about sexual orientation and gender identity will be included in the census for the first time.
4 Writing Themselves In 4 received 6,418 survey responses.
5 According to the Writing Themselves In 4 national survey, 4.0% (n = 256) of participants identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and 11.0% (n = 705) were born overseas, of which 55.1% (n = 326) were born in non-English speaking countries (Hill et al., 2021). Further, among participants born overseas, 10.5% (n = 73) were international students or on a working visa.
6 OECD stands for Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and includes countries that have similar legal and economic structures as Australia.
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge Dr Natalie Amos (Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society) and Nathan Despot (Inclusion Melbourne) whose advice during the initial scoping of the study was hugely valuable and affirming.
This publication was produced by AIFS Child Family Community Australia information exchange (CFCA). CFCA information exchange provides high quality, evidence-based information, resources and interactive support for professionals in the child, family and community welfare sector. The work of CFCA is funded by the Department of Social Services.
Featured image: © GettyImages/PIKSEL
Suggested citation
Stutchbury, B., & Truong, M. (2026). Supporting LGBTQ+ young people with disability: What service providers need to know. Policy and practice paper. Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
978-1-76016-447-8
27 April 2026
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