Dr Louis Bailey

Louis is the Research Lead at My CWA. He is an experienced sociologist with over twenty years’ experience conducting research across academia, the government, policing, health services, and the third sector. He is committed to the intersection of research, advocacy, and justice, and his research to date has centred the voices of the most vulnerable within our communities. Central to Louis’ research career has been the need to build evidence so as to better advocate for, and support, victims of violence and abuse; to inform legislation; and enact much-needed cultural change. His recent work on survivorship (including trans and non-binary survivors) meant disrupting dominant understandings of domestic and sexual violence/abuse so as to open up a space for those whose experiences tend to be overlooked across mainstream services.

Louis co-founded and headed up the Trans Resource and Empowerment Centre (TREC Ltd) – the first service-providing organisation for trans and non-binary people in North-West England. He also worked with leading CEOs from across the UK to establish The National LGB&T Partnership, which served as a critical friend to the Department of Health, advising on issues relating to LGBTQ+ health and advocacy. He has authored over thirty publications, including peer-review journal articles, book chapters, and research reports with significant impact across policy and commissioning. Recently, this has included articles on technological abuse, and the experiences of Black Asian and Minority Ethnic and immigrant women survivors when accessing domestic violence/abuse services. Other articles include topics such as the mental health of the trans and non-binary community, and the needs of older LGBTQ+ people. His work has appeared in a range of journals including the Journal of Interpersonal Violence; Criminal Justice and Behavior, and Trauma Violence & Abuse.

Louis was the Principal Investigator on the ‘Trans Without Abuse’ research study (2021 – 2023), which explored the needs and experiences of trans and non-binary survivors of intimate-partner violence/abuse, family-based abuse, childhood abuse, and sexual violence. The research established the necessary evidence-base for the establishment of the Trans Without Abuse service, and fed into the development of crucial trans-inclusion guidelines and best practice across the domestic violence charitable sector.