Lesbian Abuse is Domestic Violence

Lesbians in Abusive Relationships Need to be Supported

Feb 26, 2009

Violence against women is spousal abuse even if the perpetrator is another woman. Same sex marriages are not immune from becoming an abusive relationship.

Lesbian relationships are generally built on love and respect. Some same sex relationships are built on abuse and control; this is a form of domestic violence.

Types of Abuse

Emotional abuse is any form of ongoing inappropriate verbal communication that is intended to hurt or belittle the other partner. It can include:

Physical abuse is any form of physical violence inflicted upon the partner. It can include: hitting, kicking, pushing, slapping, burning or tossing items at the partner. Physical abuse also includes when an abuser takes away needed medications from their partner.

Sexual Abuse also occurs in lesbian relationships. Any unwanted sexual act is sexual abuse. It also includes pressuring a partner into unsafe sex or making her have sex with other people.

Financial abuse is any behavior by one partner to control the other's money. It can include: controlling her income, threatening to withdraw financial support or making her accountable for very dollar she spends.

Domestic violence in a gay or lesbian relationship has a unique form of abuse called “outing”. If the abused partner has not told family members, friends or co-workers that she is a lesbian, the abuser threatens to tell these people as a method of control.

Small Cities, Towns and Rural Attitudes

The relatively small population of the gay and lesbian community in small cities, towns or in rural areas, makes it very difficult for these women to seek help. In many rural areas, the gay and lesbian population is not as accepted as they are in large urban centers. When services are found, they are generally specific to domestic violence as it occurs in a heterosexual relationship.

Prevalence of Lesbian Abuse

There are no reliable statistics that can clearly indicate how widespread is this form of domestic violence.

The Public Health Agency of Canada reports that although there have been studies, there is little consistency with the results. The results of one study indicated that 66% of respondents knew of a lesbian who experienced same sex partner violence.

Helping an Abused Woman

As with any form of domestic violence, a battered person takes a lot of abuse before she will reach out for help. It is important to help any person who has suffered abuse. In the United States there are many local hotlines that can help. These numbers can be found online or at the front of a phone book.

The GLBT National Hotline helps gays, lesbians, bi-sexual and transgenders. They also have a helpline specific to youth up to the age of 25.

The copyright of the article Lesbian Abuse is Domestic Violence in Abuse is owned by Karen Stephenson. Permission to republish Lesbian Abuse is Domestic Violence in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.