Domestic Violence 

The Hidden Secret of the LGBT Community 

By Kerrita McClaughlyn


Closing the Gap, Violence Prevention - Who’s Responsible? • January/February 2002


Domestic violence is a problem in American society that cuts across all socioeconomic, gender, racial, and ethnic lines. Although the 

problem is readily discussed in society at large, the focus is often on heterosexual relationships. This often obscures the fact that samesex domestic violence occurs at a similar rate as heterosexual relationships. 

The problem of domestic violence in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community is highlighted in the 2001 preliminary report by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP). NCAVP is a network of 27 community-based organizations 

responding to violence affecting LGBT and HIV-affected individuals. 

Closing the Gap spoke with Rachel Baum, MSW, national program coordinator for NCAVP and the New York City Gay and Lesbian AntiViolence Project, about the report, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Domestic Violence in 2000, and the problems affecting the LGBT 

community. 

CTG: How prevalent is domestic violence in the LGBT community? 

BAUM: It is estimated that the incidence of domestic violence (DV

in the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) peop

parallels that in the lives of straight people (25-33 percent). Howeve

reporting is assumed to be even lower than among straight women

The academic studies on this topic are so few at this point, we canno

update the estimated prevalence with scientific certainty, but we ca

use information from the few studies that have been done, as well 

from the reports and anecdotal experiences of providers who serv

LGBT survivors of violence. 

CTG: What are some of the barriers preventing the community 

from discussing the problem? 

BAUM: Shame and denial are very powerful barriers. As is true wit

so many other marginalized groups there is a sense of not wanting t

air “dirty laundry”. In the case of LGBT people there is defensivene

about our relationships. Since there are so many people who woul

already pathologize our relationships, condemn our families, and den

our right to be, there is a strong opposition to offering more “ammu

nition” to the “antis” to bolster their arguments. Not wanting to tain

our image, as we fight for civil rights and recognition, is a stron

silencer for those who may be suffering from DV. 

CTG: How prevalent is domestic violence in minority communities and what are the barriers they face? 

BAUM: As I mentioned earlier, the prevalence of DV is believed to cu

across demographic lines as well as sexual orientation and gender line

Given our data and experiences as providers, there is no reason t

believe that more or fewer LGBT people of color experience or perp

trate DV than non-minorities. Of course this goes against man

people’s stereotypes about people of color being more violent or “pa

sionate”, but these stereotypes are not exclusive to LGBT people but 

they do cross over. 

Additionally, there is the issue of access to resources. 

Many of the programs that have been developed to address violence within and against the LGBT community are not sensitively and appropriately meeting the needs of people of color. This 

includes outreach. Most of these programs exist within the larger 

) mainstream LGBT community. 

le Many men who have sex with men, women who have sex with 

r, women and gender variant people do not relate to the larger commu­

. nity or even define under the terms we use, like “gay” or “queer”. This 

t is particularly true in communities of color and immigrant groups. 

n Therefore, we face a barrier on the front end to getting services to 

as people who aren’t out or don’t connect with the larger mainstream 

e community and won’t come out for services. 

CTG: How is the problem of domestic violence in the LGBT 

community being addressed? 

BAUM: LGBT-specific anti-violence projects only exist in a smatterh ing of places around the country. There are LGBT people and allies 

o currently working at women’s shelters and other DV programs around 

ss the country who have taken on reaching out to LGBT victims. Und fortunately, this is all very limited. 

y There is also a critical need to educate DV and mental health 

­ service providers, law enforcement, medical professionals, and other 

t service providers on issues specific to the LGBT community—to eng sure that all services are sensitive, appropriate, and accessible. For 

example, we’ve found that when straight DV agencies expand their 

services to specifically meet the needs of the LGBT community, these 

services are usually geared toward lesbian and bisexual women and 

sometimes to transgender women, but rarely to men of any sexual 

orientation or gender identity. Even these services are usually limited 

t and are still sometimes inappropriate due to insufficient staff training. 

s. 

o CTG: Where can the LGBT community turn for help? 

ey BAUM:It is important to look at the laws in an area. In some states 

s­ LGBT people can actually access an order of protection and order to 

vacate through civil court, and victims should be made aware of that 

option. In other states LGBT people must go through

criminal court, which means a greater offense must occur 

continued on page 2>>>>

Office of Minority Health Resource Center 1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
Hidden Violence...continued from page 11

Domestic Violence 

The Hidden Secret of the LGBT Community 

By Kerrita McClaughlyn


Closing the Gap, Violence Prevention - Who’s Responsible? • January/February 2002


(potentially a more dangerous threat or more 

serious injury) and the person must have the 

abuser arrested. We know most victims of 

DV already don’t want to have their partner 

arrested, and with the history of LGBT 

people’s relationship with the police and 

prison system this aversion is often exacerbated. If the LGBT person is an immigrant 

or a person of color, it is likely that their fear 

of using law enforcement will be even greater. 

A third legal possibility is that the state 

does offer orders of protection to LGBT 

people through civil or criminal court. However, this could deter a person from coming 

forward to seek protection if there could potentially be criminal prosecution for violation of other laws. Still, other states do not 

offer protection to LGBT people from intimate partner violence at all. It is important 

that local providers and law enforcement are 

aware of local statutes and make victims aware 

of their options. the first things I tell them they can do to Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs and the 

Not everyone, however, will choose to make their services more accessible and wel­ New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Vioaddress DV through use of the criminal jus­ coming for LGBT people is not to make as­ lence Project, go to http://www.avp.org or call 

tice system and it is important that we have sumptions about any client who walks 212-714-1184.

resources available for each person to make through the door. So often if advocates see a 

choices about the best approach for their own man coming they run in and lock the doors. 

situation. There is a need for us to use our instincts to 

Special Issues in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Domestic Violence 

1.	 “Outing” or threatening to out a partner to friends, family, employers, police, or others. 

2.	 Reinforcing fears that no one will help a partner because s/he is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, or that for this reason, the 

partner “deserves” the abuse. 

3.	 Alternatively, justifying abuse with the notion that a partner is not “really” lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender; i.e., s/he may once 

have had or may still have relationships with other people, or express a gender identity, inconsistent with the abuser’s definitions 

of these terms. 

4.	 Telling the partner that abusive behavior is a normal part of LGBT relationships, or that it cannot be domestic violence because 

it is occurring between LGBT individuals. 

5.	 Portraying the violence as mutual and even consensual, especially if the partner attempts to defend against it, or has an expression 

of masculinity or some other “desirable” trait. 

CTG: What other resources are needed to 

help eradicate or limit the problem in the 

community? 

BAUM: We need laws changed for better 

access to DV shelters (equal access ordinances 

like the one in San Francisco for example), 

increased access to the legal system, education for law enforcement and service providers, research to better construct programs and 

to better identify the problem, and money 

for outreach and response programs for both 

victims and perpetrators. 

CTG: Is there anything that you would 

like to add that I did not ask, that you 

think is missing, or that you think is 

relevant to the issue? 

BAUM: When I do trainings for mainstream 

(straight) DV agencies and providers one of 

be safe, but also a need to ask questions before making assumptions. When doing client intakes or taking hotline calls, try not to 

use gender-specific pronouns to refer to the 

client’s abuser until the client has identified 

the appropriate pronouns. This will allow 

one less obstacle to a person trying to come 

forward for help, but afraid of facing homophobia or transphobia. 

If you think it is too difficult to have a 

conversation without using gender-specific 

pronouns, go back and read this interview 

again, you’ll find none. Anti-Violence Project 

(AVP) staff often train and seek to collaborate with other providers in their areas in 

hopes of reaching and serving more LGBT 

victims of DV but not all providers are open 

to this kind of training or collaborations or to 

doing this work. There are still huge gaps in 

service. 

For more information on the National 

Office of Minority Health Resource Center	 2 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services