Strathclyde Gay and Lesbian Switchboard

Introduction to Switchboard

A great many of you will already be aware of Switchboard having perhaps used one of its many services yourself.

Switchboard offers many things to our Community.

Sometimes life throws things at you which can be very hard to comprehend. It's much less easy when you feel isolated by the issue or you can't even talk to a friend about what's happened.

Switchboard can act as the virtual friend you temporarily need. We are independent of your daily life and may be able to help you look at something more objectively away from the pressure of thinking as well of what people you know might think of you if you talked to them about it.

We are a 'one stop' information source for basics such as what pubs clubs and places of interest are available particularly in Glasgow & Edinburgh. In general we can offer a diverse and varied scope of information from the pages of Scots Gay, Diva, Gay Times, magazines. We also have access to Spartacus for those far flung holiday destinations. I would suggest you try us and see.

We have access to friendly and sympathetic Legal Advisors to whom we can refer those in need of assistance.

We offer general wellbeing & relevant sexual health information having close links with both the Centre for Women's Health and the Steve Retson Project. For the most part we speak from personal experience of these services.

We refer to various safe and welcoming resource centres such as the Glasgow LGBT Centre, Glasgow Women's Library, Vivid Youth, LGBT Youth Scotland and Stonewall we have close links with these well established organisations. We trust them fully.

Switchboard facilitates the Icebreakers social group that meets in confidence and safety at Scene Locations and through our outreach worker we have established a series of group led social activities. We aim to make these events safe and above all else fun too.

Icebreakers lets folk attending chat with each other and introduce themselves to other similar people to themselves. First names only is fine.

Lesbian Line is a strictly dedicated Woman to Woman support service.

All others with issues around Lesbianism may telephone our main helpline for assistance.

The Homophobic Crime 3rd Party Reporting facility acknowledges the victim is the best judge of whether an event was Homophobic or not. The service is as confidential as you want it to be and only the information you want to share with the Police is sent off to them on your behalf.

It is very important that crime of this nature is recorded and perhaps, with even the most basic of information from you, a pattern of offending can be established in an area or a venue which the Police may better then be able to tackle.

Crosslynx is an affiliate supported service operating from Switchboard and we will refer broader issues of Transgender and Crossdressing to them for the benefit of callers who need this support in their lives.

The main service that Switchboard aims to provide is to be there for anyone who needs to talk to someone who will not judge them or the issues they face in life. We pride ourselves on our policy of confidentiality and anonymity. We operate a very strict code of conduct to reinforce the need for both.

We aim to listen to and support you, look at options open to you and together perhaps move on a bit at a time till you reach a point where you feel able to do without us.

We will never tell you what to do as we don't know what's best for you, only you really know all the dimensions which make up your life and for that reason we can only work with the information you give us over time.

If you prefer we don't need any name from you at all. Some callers use an assumed First name they will remember when they call and this helps us both when we are talking to one another.

During your call we may ask your location: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Glamorgan etc, we may ask your age and how you found out about us, only if it's appropriate to the nature of your call might we suggest we discuss the principles and mechanics of safe sex with us - you though decide.

Our funders need basic statistics back from us to show we deliver what we say we will, this general information lets everyone see the spread of our call base in Scotland and elsewhere. Nothing you say to us is disclosed to anyone other than perhaps another volunteer on shift that night and then only if the volunteer feels the same need you had for some support over the issues discussed.

Your call to us is just that, Your Call: we go at a pace which suits you and will look at the issues you face with honesty and integrity.

There is no time limit and you can call as often as you feel the need to. We will aim to always close the line at 10 pm.

We are always interested in you and the types of calls we deal with vary widely.

The following are simply examples; not a restrictive list.

We take calls from people who are questioning their feeling around Sexuality, their current and past Relationships, their general Quality of life, Coming out, Starting out, Bereavement, Desertion, Eviction, Violence in the home scene and workplace. Legal questions on the Age of Consent, Problems at Work, with Landlords & Housing, Safe use of condoms, Dental Dams do you need them?

"Straight" people who feel they may be gay or bisexual often cannot explore this apparent change with their "straight" group of friends for fear of being labelled or ridiculed. We offer safety to talk about what is going on without your being committed either way.

Homophobia directed at you by others & perhaps by yourself, General Discrimination & Harassment issues.

Negotiating for the kind of sex you want with someone. What if you feel the sex you are having is getting out of control and you want to stop?

Parents who have questions about their children whom they may suspect might be gay or lesbian. Parents who have children 'come out' to them and they want to be informed how best to approach an ongoing renewal of their relationship with the child.

Parents themselves sometimes have to come to terms with their own sexuality shifting or broadening and we discuss with them how they can best manage this to suit their circumstances.

Switchboard is not a cult and it is not addictive, it does not recruit people, persuade or direct people into courses of action that have no place in their life. We do want you to have all the life you can safe happy and considerate of others.

A call to Switchboard is always treated with respect for you and your life and we aim to make the experience a safe one, one you may repeat till you don't need us.

Who are we? People just like you really - our ages may vary but, the feelings are shared, the experiences too. We come from all walks of life and volunteer to take the phones to chat with you, people like us. It’s always your call and it's always about your stuff so you get yourself heard.