‘Marriages of Convenience’ in the LGBTQI Community – BBC Look North

Why do some individuals who identify as LGBTQI feel like they have no choice but to hide their sexuality and get married to ‘please’ their family?

BBC Look North investigates ‘marriages of convenience’ (MoC) in a new report that tries to understand the cultural and religious pressures that some families force on to their children. Families who who will not accept the sexuality they were born with.

Jasvinder Sanghera, founder of leading charity Karma Nirvana, talks about how what we are hearing about this report is ‘just the tip if the iceberg’. For the last 24 years the charity has supported victims of honour-based abuse and forced marriage and run a national helpline supporting victims.

As part of the report the BBC shadowed Naz and Matt Foundation during our most recent school talks in Leeds, organised to help tackle ‘religious and cultural homophobia‘ within the local community.

Thank you The Co-operative Academy of Leeds for welcoming us into your school.