An alarming majority of lesbian, bisexual and trans (LBT) people in East Timor have faced violence.

Many women and trans men reported facing extreme homophobic violence, often at the hands of family members.

The worrying findings were revealed in ‘A Research Report on the Lives of Lesbian and Bisexual Women and Transgender Men in Timor-Leste’.

The ASEAN SOGIE Caucus released the report this week. It is the first report of its kind to document the lives of LBT people in East Timor.

‘I was tied up in the back of the car and dragged across the road for everyone to see,’ said one of the survey respondents.

Some recalled the violence they faced at the hands of their own siblings.

‘For so long, I suffered at the hand of my oldest brother and sister. I ended up in a hospital three times. My chest was bleeding due to a hard kick from my sister with her high heels on,’ one woman said.

‘I was tied up and pulled by the car by my brother, strangled with a hose, and pushed inside a water tank for hours. I tried to end my life a few times. My biggest dream is to continue my education.’

‘I was hit with a machete by my sisters. I still have scars on my face,’ another person said. Read more via Gay Star News