Exploitation is not normally some sort of failing on the part of an individual; instead, it is almost always the result of structural inequality. For LGBTIQ+ people, this vulnerability exists where discrimination systematically restricts their access to protection, resources and rights. International, European and communal data unanimously show that where queer identities are marginalised, the risk of sexual exploitation, human trafficking and other forms of violence increases significantly.
Structural exclusion as starting point
According to the UN High Commission for Refugees, LGBTIQ+ people are one of the most endangered groups worldwide. Violence, criminalisation and social exclusion often create a situation in which many are forced to leave their homes. This exclusion does not end with their seeking refuge, however. On migration routes, in accommodation and in asylum systems, LGBTIQ+- people are more likely to be subjected to sexualised violence, blackmail and exploitation. The situation is made particularly serious by the fact that many of those affected do not seek help due to fear of further discrimination. The fear of being involuntarily “outed” or of not being believed by official centres often means exploitation remains invisible.
Impacted particularly hard: LGBTIQ+ young people
The situation is particularly dramatic for young people who are LGBTIQ+. The report by the National Center for Youth Law shows that queer young people are impacted by sexual exploitation far more often than non-queer people of the same age. Close to one in two young people affected by exploitation identifies as LGBTIQ+. A core risk factor is familial rejection. Many queer young people are excluded from their families or experience violence due to their identity. Homelessness, poverty and a lack of protective spaces lead to a situation whereby so-called “survival strategies” such as survival sex often become the only means of ensuring basic needs. These situations are not voluntary decisions, but an expression of systemic need.
Europe: progress on paper, loopholes in reality
The exploitation of LGBTIQ+ people is not merely some fringe phenomenon within the European Union. The report by the European Parliament on implementing the EU-LGBTIQ strategy makes clear that, despite legal progress, discrimination remains an everyday experience for many people. In many member states, violence, hate crimes and social exclusion continue to be widespread. Discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people also has direct economic consequences. Those impacted are more frequently confronted by unemployment and homelessness. This structural insecurity increases the risk of entering into exploitative dependencies, whether it be in the world of work, in relationships or in the context of sexual exploitation.
Discrimination in everyday life: data from Vienna
The fact that discrimination is not an abstract problem is also shown by local data. The City of Vienna regularly documents experiences of LGBTIQ+ people suffering from discrimination in the public sphere, the workplace, the health service and in contact with the authorities. Trans- and non-binary people in particular report exclusion more frequently than usual. This everyday discrimination has far-reaching consequences. Those who repeatedly experience institutions as insecure or hostile are more likely to avoid offers of help and withdraw from public life. As a result, exploitative conditions, too, are more likely to remain undiscovered. Discrimination has an effect which is not just directly damaging, therefore, but also structurally strengthens the risk of exploitation.
Why existing protection systems are failing
A central problem is the lack of identification of exploitation. The Youth Law report shows that LGBTIQ+ people, young people in particular, are often not perceived as victims because they do not correspond to the stereotypical image. Trans young people and queer young men above all are systematically overseen. Added to this is the fear of stigmatisation, punishment or institutional violence. Many of those affected fear that reporting their problem will cause more problems than it solves, through forced outing, placement outside the home or the loss of residential rights, for example. This entirely justified fear often means the exploitation can last for years on end.
Conclusion
Exploitation cannot be overcome in an isolated way. Comprehensive anti-discrimination policies, secure residential and protective spaces, discrimination-free access to work, education and health provision, as well as specific protective mechanisms for LGBTIQ+ people in exploitative situations, are also necessary.
The exploitation of LGBTIQ+ people is not a marginal problem, but a symptom of structural discrimination. As long as equal treatment remains incomplete, however, exploitative conditions will remain foreseeable. Anyone wishing to overcome exploitation, therefore, must consistently break down discrimination.
Translated by Tim Lywood
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