Overwhelmed LGBTQIA+ support line calls for urgent help

The number of people reaching out to the charity for help has surged by 46 per cent since COVID-19 lockdowns began, LGBTIQ+ Health Australia, which oversees Qlife, digital health director Sophie Potter said.

"As the demand for Qlife is soaring, we find ourselves at a crossroads. We want to be there for every person who reaches out, but our resources are stretched thin," she said.

"The data shows the urgent need for our services and we expect these next few weeks will be our busiest ever."

QLife has launched a crowdfunding campaign, in conjunction with other fundraising ventures, while the charity was "struggling to keep up" during Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras which ran from February 16 to March 3.

"We need resourcing to help get more people on the phone at our peak times," she said.

Ms Potter said there was "definitely a sense of distress and grief" when high profile cases of violence affect the community.

"I think for LGBTQIA+ people who've experienced intimate partner violence are particularly affected right now," she said.

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Ms Potter said QLife had seem "a growing complexity" in the cases they handled since launching 10 years ago.

She said the charity was increasingly dealing with cases of "suicide, domestic and family, violence, discrimination and mental health issues".

QLife has helped more than 30,000 people since 2022 and Ms Potter said that for 81 per cent of those who reached out, connecting with a professional on the same day was "crucial".

"As the only national helpline run by and for LGBTQIA+ people, we play a really critical role as a first port of call."

Support is available for those who may be distressed: