Homophobic Abuse & DV
How does everything that we have said relate to those suffering domestic violence in a same sex relationship?
All of what we have said applies!
However there are additional issues as well:
Isolation
Privacy
“Not out” to family, friends and work colleagues
Fear of authority – myth that authorities will treat them badly
Fear that their partner will leave them
In some cases there may only be that partner in their lives – they may have been cut off by everyone else due to their sexual orientation
They may not have come to terms with their own sexual orientation yet – therefore they may be embarrassed to report anything
Fear of people finding out about their sexual orientation
Fear of losing their job
Threats made by their partner to out them, to inform family, friends, work colleagues and agencies that they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans gendered – to “out” them without their permission (homophobic control)
The organisation Broken Rainbow looks at domestic violence within the LGBT Community:
