Domestic Violence: it's a LGBT problem too

By Mariam Ridha

Same-sex domestic violence is real. The lastest research, ‘Count Me In Too', found that on average 1 in 3 LGBT people experience domestic abuse, an even higher incidence than amongst heterosexual women (estimated at 1 in 4). Yet the perception of domestic abuse as exclusively a ‘gendered crime' persists amongst the mainstream organizations and services offered to LGBT victims remain hugely inadequate.

Despite the government's inclusive definition of domestic violence as ‘any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial, or emotional) between adults that have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality', this has not translated to equal services for LGBT victims.

With very little recognition of same-sex abuse in mainstream domestic violence organizations, LGBT people risk not being taken seriously by precisely those who they seek assistance from, or there simply being no suitable help to offer them. Mainstream organizations continue to be oriented toward heterosexual women, with little or no understanding of LGBT issues.

Meanwhile specialist LGBT domestic violence services are scarce. With no specialist refuges, gay, bisexual, and transgender men who are attempting to escape domestic abuse from same-sex partners often have nowhere to go - while lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women in mainstream refuges face possible revictimization owing to homophobia/transphobia. LGBT specific services providing support and counselling are also extremely few on the ground despite this being the most popular request among LGBT survivors in a recent study.

This is a ‘real' problem then. Services to support LGBT victims and survivors of domestic abuse are patently unequal to those offered to mainstream sections of society, in spite of domestic violence being as prevalent a problem within the LGBT community. That is why this year LGBT Labour will campaign to move services forward for LGBT victims and achieve fairness for those who suffer in the hands of their same-sex partner.

Vitally, there is a need for training and awareness raising in all mainstream organizations related to domestic violence across the voluntary and statutory sector to improve attitudes and where possible develop expertise. Understandably not all domestic violence agencies can provide the whole package of services to LGBT people but what is necessary is that they handle victims sensitively and signpost them to the range of available services where they cannot provide these themselves. Specialist LGBT services such as safe, specialist temporary accommodation and LGBT specific support and counselling are also necessary to provide full, appropriate support.

It is not tokenistic change we are after. The discrepancy between services offered to LGBT victims of domestic abuse and mainstream sections of society leaves this group extremely vulnerable to those who perpetrate harm and needs to be addressed. Same-sex domestic violence exists and it is serious: now let's do something about it.