- In 1999 there was a total of 1,960 separate incidents against the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender population. These incidents impacted 2,234 persons, and included 3,410 distinct crimes. Of the total incidents, 765 were reported to law enforcement, which refused to take a report in 10 percent of cases, took the report but made no arrest in 73 percent of cases, and made arrests in 17 percent of cases (National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, 2000).
- Over four-fifths of the perpetrators of anti-gay, -lesbian, -bisexual, and -transgender incidents were male, and two-thirds were under the age of 30. More than half (51 percent) of the total number of incidents recorded for 1999 involved a stranger perpetrator (lbid).
- In 1999, there was a total of 7,876 hate crime incidents reported. Of them, there was a sexual orientation bias in 1,317.
- Despite an overall drop in homicides in 1999, the rate of hate-motivated murders against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and trans-gender individuals has increased by 12 percent (National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, 2000).
For additional information, please contact:
National Center for Victims of Crime 2111 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300 Arlington, VA 22201(703)276-2880 (703)276-2889 (fax) E-mail: ncvc@ncvc.org Web site: www.ncvc.org
U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reports Clarksburg, WV 26306-0154 (304)625-4995
National Criminal Justice Reference Service U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice, Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20849-6000 (800)851-3420 (301)519-5500 km. Web site: www.ncjrs.org
Reprinted, not in its entirety, from Crime and Victimization in America, Statistical Overview, National Center for Victims of Crime, 2000 edition
Myth #1: Domestic Violence is more common in straight relationships than it is in lesbian or gay relationships.
Truth: There is no reason whatsoever to assume that gay men and lesbians are less violent than heterosexual men and women. Consequently, best estimates of same-sex domestic violence are derived properly from the well-known statistics about battering in the straight community. At least 30,000 lesbians and at least 500,000 gay males are abused by their lovers each year in the United States.
Myth #2: It really isn't violence when a same sex couple fights. It is just a lovers' quarrel between equals.
Truth: This myth draws on our inability to see violence between two people of the same sex as a violent situation where one person is clearly a victim. This myth is based on the idea that domestic violence is really two people battling in a boxing ring. This is completely false. There is nothing "fair" about domestic violence- being knocked against a wall or enduring endless criticism from an angry lover does not entail fairness. Further, dismissing domestic violence as "just a lover's quarrel" is trivializing the violence that may be happening and saying that what goes on between lovers is okay. Finally, this myth completely overlooks psychological abuse and material destruction.
Myth #3: The batterer will always be butch, bigger and stronger. The victim will always be femme, smaller and weaker.
Truth: This myth grew out of what most people think victims look like, and it focuses on the unfortunately narrow stereotype that gay and lesbian domestic violence is physical and strength-related. This is simply not true. A person who is 5'5", prone to violence, and very angry can do a lot of damage to someone who may be taller, heavier and stronger and non-violent. Size, weight, butchness, femmeness, queeniness, or any other physical attribute or role are not indicators or whether a person will be a victim or a batterer. Again, this myth focuses only on the physical aspects of domestic violence. A batterer does not need to be 6'1" and built like a rugby player to smash your compact discs or cut up your clothing, or tell everyone at work that you "really are a queer."
Myth #4: People who are abusive under the influence of drugs or alcohol are not responsible for their actions.
Truths: Violence is a choice, and there are better choices. Every sane person is always fully responsible for every action taken. Drugs and alcohol are excuses for battering. Studies of batterers in therapy show that batterers decide to batter their mates significantly prior to deciding to drink. There is also evidence that batterers who abuse drugs and alcohol are equally likely to batter when sober. If a person who batters is also on drugs or alcohol, that person has two serious, separate problems. Being on drugs or alcohol does not relieve a batterer of responsibility for his or her own conduct.
Myth #5: Lesbian and gay domestic violence is sexual behavior, a version of S&M. The victims actually like it.
Truth: Domestic violence is not sexual behavior. In S&M relationships, there is usually some contract or agreement about the limits or the boundaries of the behavior, even when pain is involved. Domestic violence entails no such contract. Domestic violence is abuse, manipulation and control that in unwanted by the victim. Like victims of other crimes (Including rape, mugging, terrorism harassment, assault and threats), victims of domestic violence do not enjoy the violence they experience. This myth is very pervasive in the gay and lesbian community. It's perpetuation permits trivialization and denial (even ridicule and joking about) of victims' cries for help. Domestic violence cannot ever be dismissed as sexual behavior. They have no similarity whatsoever.
Myth #6: The law does not and will not protect victims of lesbian and gay men's domestic violence.
Truth: It depends somewhat on where you live, but in the United States, heterosexuality is not a criterion for protection under the law. Gay people usually have to demand equal rights, and one of those rights is protection from a violent person, regardless of the nature of the relationship with that person. Battery is a crime. So is much of psychological abuse and material destruction. Police have been unwilling to recognize same sex relationships as domestic, and it is difficult for police to see men as victims of domestic violence. Same-sex violence has too long been mislabeled as "mutual combat" by police. In some cities, such as San Francisco, this situation is gradually changing, and police are required to respond properly to all domestic violence calls. Finally, despite the high probability of encountering homophobia and further victimization by the police, it is important to report all incidents and insist that rights are protected.
Myth #7: Domestic violence occurs primarily among gay men and lesbians who hang out at bars, are poor, or are people of color.
Truth: Domestic violence is a nondiscriminatory phenomenon. Batterers come from all walks of life, all ethnic groups, all socioeconomic strata, and all educational levels. This myth grows out of the higher visibility that other groups have, giving an illusion that nourishes this false idea. Gay male and lesbian domestic violence does not adhere to cultural and economic boundaries. It occurs proportionately across all groupings and categories of people. No group is exempt.
Myth #8: Victims often provoke the violence done to them. They're getting what they deserve.
Truth: This is absolutely untrue. This myth perpetuates the idea that victims are responsible for the violence done to them, that somehow victims cause batterers to be violent. Violent behavior is solely the responsibility of the violent person. Batterers choose violence; victims do not "provoke" it. This myth is common among both batterers and victims of domestic violence, and it may be a strong force that keeps victims in abusive relationships.
Myth #9: It is easier for lesbian or gay victims of domestic violence to leave their abusive relationship than it is for heterosexual counterparts, who are married.
Truth: Gay and lesbian couples are as intertwined and involved in each others' lives as are heterosexual couples. It is also possible that lesbians and gays are more couple/family oriented than their heterosexual counterparts, as many are alienated from their own families.
Myth #10: Victims exaggerate the violence that happens to them. If it were really bad, they would just leave.
Truth: This myth is 100% backwards. Most victims tend to minimize the violence that happens to them because of guilt, shame and self-blame attached to victimization, and because others do not believe them, responding instead with criticism, and accusations of exaggeration. Leaving is often the hardest thing for a victim to accomplish, and is often harder than staying. Batterers threaten their victims with more violence (including threats of murder) if they leave. Incidence of domestic violence actually increases after a victim leaves. Leaving also requires strength, self-confidence, self-reliance, and a healthy self-esteem, all of which have been eroded by life with an abuser. Leaving a violent lover may also mean leaving one's home, community or city. What is amazing is not that people stay in abusive relationships once the cycles of violence are in motion, but that they are able to get out.
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There are three levels of abuse that many lesbian and gay individuals in an abusive relationship face. The first level is that of the private/interpersonal domain. These are abuses experienced within the lesbian and gay community. These are the cases of domestic violence. However, gays and lesbians also face two more levels of abuse: the family domain, which is abuse by the heterosexual family towards the gay or lesbian individual in the family. The third is the public realm of abuse, which is abuse, invisibility or privilege dependent solely on sexual orientation. The family and the public domains are outlined below.
Family Domain of Abuse (Abuses by heterosexual family towards gay or lesbian family member)
1. Isolation:
- No training from family in dealing with homophobic society
- Told you're the only one in the family that is gay
- Cut-off or Disowning
- Lack of gay family role models
- Controlling who visits
- Family not knowing of sexual orientation
2. Using Intimidation
- Destroying gay literature
- Destruction of Property
- Threats of violence
- "Don't come out or it'll kill him!"
- All other threats
3. Using heterosexual privileges
- Partner exclusion
- No rituals to recognize relationship
- Guardianship not awards to gays and lesbians
- No support of relationship
- Invisibility
4. Threats
- Threats to commit gay or lesbian to psychiatric hospital
- Threat of physical harm
- Threat to disown
- Threat to kick out of the house
5. Emotional Abuse
- Hearing family saying degrading things about homosexuals while growing up
- Gay jokes
- Directly telling person they are sick, disturbed, etc.
- Forcing person to "edit" their life for family
6. Economic Abuse
- Family stops financial support for college, rent, personal needs, medical care, etc.
- Family will not loan money for house, car, etc. but will for other siblings
7. Sexual Abuse
- Rape and sexual abuse of lesbians by male family members in attempt to "make them" heterosexual
- Harassment about sexual orientation
- Verbal abuse related to sexual behaviors
8. Using children
- Family attempts to take away children when parent comes out
- Gays accused of bad parenting
- Family removes gay person's contact with younger siblings.
Public Domain of Abuse (Abuse/Invisibility/Privilege Depending on Sexual Orientation)
1. Isolation
- Lack of positive lesbian and gay role models
- Lack of positive gay representation through media
- Isolation and separation from peers and colleagues
- Lack of access to gay services
- Many heterosexual services not offered to gay clients
2. Intimidation
- Destroying property
- Destroying gay establishments
- Abusive graffiti
- Police Raids
- Glorification of violence towards gays
3. Using Heterosexual Privilege
- No legal protection from violence
- No legal marriage or benefits that go with it (tax deduction, insurance coverage benefits, hospital visitation, medical decision making, funeral leave, etc.)
- Adoption difficulties due to sexual orientation
- Exclusion from military
4. Threats
- Verbal threats to gay bash
- Threat to be "outed" to employer, landlord, family, etc.
- Threat of homelessness for adolescents
- Threats of arrest
- Threats to be disowned
5. Emotional Abuse
- Name calling
- Negative words associated with homosexuality
- Exclusion and rejection by heterosexuals
- Institutionalized oppression (church viewing homosexuality as a sin)
- Coming out seen as hostile, "flaunting it"
- Blaming for AIDS epidemic
6. Economic Abuse
- Job discrimination and no protection under the law
- "Passing" or hiding identity to move up
- Limited access to jobs for those who are out
(A gay male couple has more economic power than a lesbian couple)
7. Sexual Abuse
- Lesbians raped by men to make them "straight"
- Physical violence based on what gays and lesbians do sexually
- Lesbians eroticized, objectified by men
- Verbal harassment of a sexual nature
8. Using Children
- Child custody battles
- Accusations of pedophilia
- Gays and lesbians thought to be poor parents
Reprinted from Almeida, Woods, Font, Messineo, 1992, adapted from Men Stopping Violence, Inc. by Ellen Pence
BRAVO
- P .O. Box 82068
- Columbus, Ohio 43202
- (614) 268-9622
http://home.earthlink.net/~bravoavp/
- "BRAVO works to eliminate violence perpetrated on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identification through prevention, advocacy, violence documentation and survivor services, both within and on behalf of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender communities."
GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender) Community Referrals:
Stonewall
- P.O. Box 10814
- Columbus Ohio
- (614) 299-7764
- http://www.stonewallcolumbus.org
At least one out of ten victims you encounter will be lesbian. The needs of lesbian survivors are not so very different from those of other survivors of sexual assault – quality medical care, appropriate police intervention, access to and understanding of the judicial process, and counseling by trained professionals. It is essential that the lesbian client receive these services. Members of the larger community often share that community's biases and myths regarding sexual assault, as well as an unwillingness to accept lesbians and gay men as healthy, normal members of the society. These misconceptions, combined with the homophobia which plagues our culture, can lead to disastrous interactions between the lesbian client and the service provider.
The knowledge that a police officer, doctor, attorney, advocate, counselor, judge or jury may be more judgmental about a woman's sexual orientation than about the actions of her attacker may result in her not reporting the attack. Or, should she decide to report, she may feel uncomfortable and unwilling to disclose her lesbianism and, as a result, may withhold important facts about the assault, such as the location of the attack, the identification of the assailant or something he/she may have said, if such information may reveal her sexual orientation. If she is not "out" to her friends, family, or employer, she may fear that disclosure may threaten her job as well as the support she needs from significant others.
There may be the added emotional pressure of carefully choosing words or deleting information at a time when it is important to talk these out freely. In the counseling environment, if the lesbian client feels uncomfortable about disclosing basic information regarding her identity, the possibility of her counselor helping her to work through the emotional aftermath of her experience is severely hindered. Also, the lesbian may fear, justifiably, that such a disclosure may lead to a change in the focus of the counseling from her emotional state as a result of the assault to the issue of her lesbianism, whether or not she needs counseling around that issue.
Here are a few guidelines to use as a starting point in dealing with lesbian survivors:
- Do not assume that your client is heterosexual. Pay particular attention to her use (or non-use) of gender-specific pronouns. Do not use heterosexual language when speaking to her, such as referring to her partner as a "boyfriend" or "husband". Listen carefully to her terminology; if she refers to a "lover" or "partner", use those terms to refer to that individual. Don't assign gender until she does.
- Wait for the sexuality issue to come up. Your use of gender-free language may make her feel comfortable enough about disclosing this information, without fear of rejection by you.
- When the client's lesbianism becomes apparent and an advocate has any doubts as to his/her ability to work with a lesbian client, then for her sake, refer her to someone else. Do not add to her trauma if her sexual orientation is an issue.
- Do not assume that lesbians have anger or hatred toward men. Women are not lesbians because they hate men.
- When the questions of reporting the assault to the police comes up, it is likely that the lesbian may have fears about her sexual orientation being made public in court. She may need a great deal of support to follow through and live with whatever decision she makes in this report.
Texas Association Against Sexual Assault Manual 1993
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