LGBT Relationships – Barriers and Complications

LGBT individuals face unique barriers and issues when they are in abusive relationships, and when they attempt to seek help. Some LGBT individuals can face greater risks in abusive relationships because of these barriers.

Smaller Support Systems

Before the Violence Against Women Act was reauthorized to include LGBT language in 2013, there was no government funding available to help LGBT victims.
LGBT individuals may lack familial support because of their sexual orientation.
LGBT individuals may not be out, and therefore their privacy may be a major concern because they fear being outed.
LGBT individuals may be apprehensive about seeking assistance for fear being outed or physically abused by others.

Issues of Outing

Some indiv iduals in the LGBT community keep their sexual and/or gender identity secret to protect their own safety, families, or for other personal reasons.
Abusers threaten to out partners to family, coworkers, teachers, or peers in an effort to control and scare victims.

Specific Ways Transgender Individuals are Verbally Abused:

An abuser may ridicule a transgender person’s body (specifically genitals)
An abuser may say a transgender person is not a “real man” or “real woman”
An abuser may deny a transgender person access to medical treatment or hormones
An abuser may misuse pronouns like “it” or use the wrong pronoun to refer to a transgender person

Homophobia/Transphobia:

Homophobia and transphobia contribute to violent crimes against LGBT individuals. In 2011, 20.4% percent of violent hate crime victims were targeted because of the perpetrator’s bias against a particular sexual orientation.*

57 percent were victims of a perpetrator’s anti-male homosexual bias.
30 percent were victims of a perpetrator’s anti-homosexual bias.
11 percent were victims of a perpetrator’s anti-female homosexual bias.
2 percent were victims of a perpetrator’s anti-bisexual bias.