Unique Aspects
Domestic abuse can take on many forms. These forms are as varied for LGBT people as they are for heterosexual women. However, LGBT people can experience additional aspects of abuse related to their sexual orintation or gender identity.
Heterosexual women’s experience of domestic abuse can take on many different forms. LGBT relationships are no different and the impacts on the person being abused are the same, however there are additional aspects to abuse that LGBT people may experience on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. These can include:
'Outing' as a method of control
If the abused partner isn’t out to their family, friends, and workmates the abusive partner may use ‘outing’ or the threat of ‘outing’ as a method of control. This is can be very serious mental abuse.
The abuse becomes associated with sexual orientation or gender identity
For many people, their sexual orientation or gender identity becomes associated with the abuse so that they blame the abuse on being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. So they may feel that “I’m experiencing this abuse because I’m LGB or T. If I wasn’t LGB or T I wouldn’t be experiencing this. I hate being LGB or T.”
Domestic abuse isn’t well recognised in the LGBT community
There hasn’t been much information or discussion in the LGBT communities about domestic abuse. Most information on domestic abuse relates to experiences of heterosexual women. This lack of understanding means that some people may not:
- Believe it happens in same sex relationships
- Recognise their experience as domestic abuse if it does happen to them and/or
- Know how to respond if they see domestic abuse being experienced by their friends.
- Confidentiality and isolation within the gay and lesbian communities
The relatively small size of the gay and lesbian communities, especially in smaller towns and rural areas, can make it difficult for the abused partner to seek help.
They may feel embarrassed about the abuse or their partner may have tried to turn others in the community against them. An abusive partner may isolate the other from contact with the LGBT community by preventing them reading any LGBT papers/magazines etc or attending LGBT venues or events and preventing them seeing friends from within the community.
This is especially true for people in their first same sex relationship who may not have had much contact with the LGBT community before the relationship began.