An Interpretive Phenomenological analysis of the lived experience of LGBT individuals in Edinburgh and Midlothian post Brexit

Abstract

In the three months immediately following Brexit incidences of homophobic hate crime rose by 147 percent. Further statistical research has demonstrated that this was not solely an immediate aftermath of Brexit but a continuing trend within UK society. However, this research has suffered from a lack of theoretical grounding and qualitative data. This study sought to provide potential theoretical grounding and a qualitative account of LGBT individuals’ lived experience after Brexit in this environment of increased prejudice. It adopted the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology. This traditionally psychological research tool was instead applied sociologically. It has been argued that IPA is well suited to incorporating sociological theories into the analysis of lived experience. The results demonstrated prominent connections between the participants lived experiences and the study’s suggested theoretical understandings of the rise in homophobic hate crime following Brexit.