Domestic and sexual violence can happen in all relationships including the LGBT+ community.
• It is estimated that between 25 and 33 percent of LGBT relationships include abuse, a rate equal to that of heterosexual relationships. (NHCADSV)
• According to a 2011 study, lesbian and bisexual women may be up to 3 times as likely as heterosexual women to report having been sexual assaulted during their lifetime; and gay men may be up to 15 times as likely as heterosexual men to report having been sexually assaulted during their lifetime (PCAR)
• 78% of transgender or gender non-conforming identity in grades k-12 reported significant rates of harassment, 35% physical assault, and 12% sexual violence. (PCAR)
Sexual Violence Against the LGBT+ Community can Include:
• Gender bullying in schools and the workplace
• Street harassment
• Sexual harassment and sexual assaultIt is a common misconception that violence in LGBT+ relationships is mutual fighting. Similar power and control issues seen in heterosexual relationships can also be seen in LGBT relationships.
Unique issues that survivors in the LGBT+ community face:
• “Outing” – threatening to reveal a partner’s sexual orientation or gender identity
• Normalizing the abuse – the abuser may tell the survivor that the abuse is a normal part of their relationship
• Manipulation – the abuser may manipulate the survivor’s friends and family to gain their trust and/or to cut off ties with the survivor
• Force – the abuser may force their partner to transition or interfere with the hormones their partner is taking
(Resource: NHCADSV)
