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Kevin Drummond, LSW, CCDC I & Susan Wesley, LISW
AIDS VOLUNTEERS OF CINCINNATI
2183 Central Parkway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45214
(513) 421-2437
Domestic Violence (DV) are two words that many people hear on a daily basis, either from the work they do. stories in the news or Public Service Announcements on TV, Yet how many know about a silent form of Domestic Violence involving same sex partners? Society has brought the issue of spousal abuse out in the open, yet it is limited mainly to women who are abused by their male partners. This is misleading and feeds into the myths surrounding Domestic Violence.
Same Sex Domestic Violence (SSDV) is an issue that is caught in one of the myths that two people of the same sex cannot commit Domestic Violence. The response from police who are often first to arrive on the scene, may not identify the situation as a fight between two lovers of the acme sex, Many people in the legal system still feel that DV can not happen between two men or two women, or for a woman to be a perpetrator against her male lover, for that matter. Others would not care if the person was killed by a Same Sex (SS) lover; one less "fag" in the world,
Although SSDV is similar to heterosexual DV, then are several differences. SSDV starts pretty much the same way as Heterosexual DV, often with manipulation, control, and isolation. SSDV is set apart from other forma of DV in that "Outing" may be a factor. Outing can be described by the partner telling someone about there lover's sexual orientation and the partner not wanting others to know. It can become a control factor to keep the lover in the relationship, especially if the partner's family, employer. etc. is not aware of their sexual orientation. Another factor could be the barriers to legal coverage, With laws not covering the Gay/Lesbian/Bi-sexual/Tranagendered (GLBT) Community, these seem to be few options available to those in SS relationships where DV is an issue
There are Several ways to help people who are in this situation, First and foremost, know yourself and how you feel about this issue. Sometimes the best help is to refer to someone who is able to deal with the situation without judgment or disgust. Also be aware of the assumptions one might make, Do you automatically assume that the perpetrator is a male, when a woman talks about her partner being domestically violent. Being aware of community resources, including housing/shelter options, therapy, and other funding will be helpful while assisting those in a DV situation.