We’re here to celebrate and uplift the LGBTQ+ community all year round at Beat. But we also recognise that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and others in the community are disproportionately affected by eating disorders.
Risk factors like discrimination, fear of not being accepted, distress over body image, internalised shame and stigma, and many more can make LGBTQ+ people more vulnerable to mental health illnesses like eating disorders. And systemic misconceptions and stigma among healthcare professionals can make it harder to seek support.
These and other barriers may mean it’s harder for people in the LGBTQ+ community to get the treatment they need and deserve.
You may have spotted our website on Season 3 of Netflix's Heartstopper, read our news article about how we worked with Netflix to tell Charlie's story authentically. If you are LGBTQ+ and think you may have an eating disorder this page is for you. We're here for you.
Read on to learn about professional support available, if you have concerns about treatment and information on how you can support someone with an eating disorder who is LGBTQ+.
Our stance on equality, diversity and inclusivity
We’re proud to stand up for the rights of those in the LGBTQ+ community and believe that everyone should be able to be themselves, feel respected and empowered to reach their full potential and live a fulfilling life. We aim to create a safe and inclusive environment for our staff and also our service users. If you contact us through our helpline or webchat service, feel free to share with the advisor your preferred pronouns and we will be happy to use them. And for those who attend our online support groups, feel free to add in your pronouns in your username. Read our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusivity.
Alongside the support we offer, you can find below some resources and services that can help you if you’re LGBTQ+ or are supporting someone who is. FFLAG has a range of information and advice for those who identify as LGBTQ+.
It can be really helpful to work with a therapist who shares your experiences, or who has been trained to work with LGBTQ+ clients.
Pink Therapy are the UK’s largest independent therapy organisation working with LGBTQ+ clients. You can search and find therapists on their site.
Gendered Intelligence’s Network for Therapists and Counsellors aims to support therapists and counsellors to offer a positive experience in a therapy setting for trans people and their families
The Counselling Directory has a search option that allows you to search for counsellors near you. After you press search, you can enter keywords. If you type in LGBTQ+, any counsellors that have actively written that in their ‘about me’ or ‘Training, qualifications & experience’ sections will come up.
The general health requirements of transgender and non-binary individuals are the same to those of anyone else. Those who identify as transgender, however, may have distinct health necessities concerning gender dysphoria. NHS England maintains a directory of gender identity clinics nationwide. You can find NHS Scotland’s list, NHS Wales’s list here and Northern Ireland’s list of gender identity clinics.
If you are concerned that you’re not getting the treatment and support you need, there are steps you can take to raise and address this.
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) offers advice to patients in England, and can support you with making a complaint about the service you’ve received.
The Patient and Client Council can offer you support if you have any concerns about treatment you’ve received in Northern Ireland.
The Community Health Council can support you with raising concerns in Wales.
The Patient Advice and Support Service provides advice and support to patients in Scotland.
You can also have a look at our overturning bad decisions page which has more information about bad decisions and how to challenge these.
If you feel as though your rights have been breached and are you can contact the children and young people’s commissioner for England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
When you contact our Helpline you will speak to a trained helpline advisor, experienced in talking to people in a similar situation to you.
A mental health service for LGBTQ+ people. They can provide advice and information over the phone, via email, or over webchat, or face-to-face if you are local to them in Brighton and Hove.
A nationwide confidential emotional, mental health support helpline for trans people. MindLine Trans provides a safe place to talk about your feelings confidentially.
Mermaids is a UK charity supporting transgender, non-binary and gender diverse children and young people, their families, and professionals involved in their care.
A confidential, non-judgmental helpline service via phone and email to talk about whatever is on your mind and offer support and advice on a range of topics.
Providing an information, support and referral service via phone, email and one-to-one webchat. All Switchboard helpline staff and volunteers identify as LGBTQ+
Providing a listening ear to transgender people, with staff made up of trans and non-binary people.
Offering one-to-one webchat support to LGBTQ+ young people and the adults supporting them.
Offers a range of support for members of the LGBTQ+ community through youth work, support groups and information hub which as a range of information about rights, gender identity clinics and more.
If you know or are treating someone in the LGBTQ+ community who has an eating disorder, your support is invaluable in helping them to recover. Here’s how you can help.
Eating disorders can be overlooked or dismissed in the LGBTQ+ community because they do not fit the stereotype as depicted in mass media. But there is no single way that eating disorders present in people who are unwell. You can learn about the signs and symptoms of an eating disorder by visiting the types of eating disorders page on our website.
You can also read and listen to the experiences of people with eating disorders in the LGBTQ+ community – we’ve shared some of these above. FFLAG has guides for family and friends supporting people who identify as LGBTQIA+ on their website.
Approach any conversations in a warm and non-judgmental, and handle with compassion and care. Let them know that you are there to listen and to support them.
Use inclusive language that affirms all gender identities and sexual orientations. Use gender neutral terms before assuming someone’s sexual or gender identity.
No one size fits all – comments championing body positivity can sometimes be unhelpful to those in the LGBTQ+ community as it may be invalidating to those who experience gender dysphoria.
Seeking support for an eating disorder always takes courage, but even more so for LGBTQ+ people who might be met with additional misconceptions on top of those about eating disorders. Supporting someone to speak to a healthcare professional or contact a helpline and being with them as they share what they’re experiencing, can be really helpful.
1 March 2019
Being open and owning my transition helped me get through it. My eating disorder has been a completely different story.
14 June 2022
Bake Off winner and Strictly superstar, John Whaite joined us to discuss all things Pride, body image and eating disorders.