The power of domestic abuse is in the fact that it happens in secret and often goes unacknowledged by society, which in turn means victims can feel ashamed, isolated, and unable to seek help. Shining a light into this dark corner of our society is therefore vital.
One type of domestic abuse that remains broadly unacknowledged is that of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. While domestic abuse is just as prevalent in the LGBT community as in society in general, it is often difficult for LGBT victims to name the abuse they are suffering because their experiences do not fit within the common stereotypes we associate with the issue. A violent partner of the same sex; the threat by an opposite-sex partner to out a bisexual victim; the power a transgender person’s spouse holds over their ability to gain legal recognition of their gender: these are all forms of abuse which plague the LGBT community yet get very little recognition in the public eye.
This is further exacerbated by the lack of understanding of LGBT domestic abuse among key stakeholders, from the police and GPs to refuges and other service providers. Trans women are often turned away from refuges; police record incidents as hate crime rather than domestic abuse; GPs and other healthcare professionals refuse to acknowledge that the perpetrator is of the same gender.
In the UK, the charity Broken Rainbow provides a national helpline for LGBT people experiencing domestic violence and abuse and works to raise awareness of the issues and challenges the LGBT community faces in this area.
ETA
Some people on Twitter were surprised that domestic abuse was an issue for the LGBT community. In a same-sex relationship, the argument goes, you’d expect more empathy and thus less violence. Of course not all LGBT people are in same-sex relationships. Some of us are bi, some of us are trans, some of us suffer domestic abuse from other family members; and same-sex relationships really aren’t immune to domestic violence and abuse.
One in four LGBT people experience domestic abuse in the UK – that’s the same rate as heterosexual women. People are people, and there are a multitude of factors at play here. The Bisexuality Report also found that bisexuals in same-sex relationships are at higher risk of domestic violence than other groups. I haven’t seen the full research, but I would imagine the biphobia we’ve been talking about all week may have something to do with this.
If you are LGBT, in the UK and experiencing domestic abuse – or if you’re worried that you might be abusing your partner – you can contact Broken Rainbow here:
Helpline: 0300 999 5428 Monday & Thursday 10am – 8pm, Tue & Wed 10am – 5pm help@brokenrainbow.org.uk
You can support Broken Rainbow’s work by donating or fundraising.
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