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We hold the LGBT Youth Scotland charter mark and work with members of the LGBT community who identify as women.
Lesbian, bisexual and transgender women experience domestic abuse regardless of age, social status, disability, ethnicity, race or religion. At Dundee Women’s Aid (DWA) we recognise that whilst all the information on this website regarding the signs, characteristics and myths around domestic abuse may also be true for LGBT women there are also some specific elements to the domestic abuse they may experience. There are also certain specific issues faced by transgender women which are detailed further down this page.
When domestic abuse is happening in a lesbian or bisexual woman’s relationship it may be even harder to name these behaviours as abusive and hard for people to accept that a female partner could be an abuser.
Some of the issues that may be faced by lesbian or bisexual women in an abusive relationship are:
Specific Issues Faced by Transgender Women
A recent study in Scotland showed that the most frequent form of abuse experienced by transgender women was transphobic emotional abuse. Some of the behaviours described were:
Coming Out and Transitioning in an Existing Relationship
Transgender people are at a high risk of domestic abuse, especially emotionally abusive transphobic behaviours, when they come out as trans for the first time to existing partners. A second high risk point for domestic abuse, especially emotionally abusive transphobic behaviours, occurs when a person reveals plans to undergo gender reassignment to a partner who is already aware of the persons trans identity but has been assuming that they would not transition. The negative partner’s reactions include a range of verbal, emotional and physical abuses. Cases that involve extreme violence have also been disclosed to the Scottish Transgender Alliance.
Useful resources
LGBT CHARTER RIGHTS
Take the pledge
Click here to pledge to promote to the LGBT community that DWA welcomes all LGBT women and stands against prejudice and discrimination.
Lesbian, bisexual and transgender women experience domestic abuse regardless of age, social status, disability, ethnicity, race or religion. At Dundee Women’s Aid (DWA) we recognise that whilst all the information on this website regarding the signs, characteristics and myths around domestic abuse may also be true for LGBT women there are also some specific elements to the domestic abuse they may experience. There are also certain specific issues faced by transgender women which are detailed further down this page.
When domestic abuse is happening in a lesbian or bisexual woman’s relationship it may be even harder to name these behaviours as abusive and hard for people to accept that a female partner could be an abuser.
Some of the issues that may be faced by lesbian or bisexual women in an abusive relationship are:
- Experiencing abuse from a former partner. The context of this abuse may lead to behaviours such as stalking and harassment, attempts to stop a woman behaving in a certain way, attempts to restrict access to lesbian and gay spaces or efforts to stop a woman seeing her new partner. Threats or actual sexual violence may also be used by a former partner.
- Some lesbian and bisexual women have children. It is important to remember that domestic abuse affects children significantly regardless of the sexuality or gender orientation of their parents. As with heterosexual women, lesbian or bisexual women can find that abuse escalates or even starts at the time of pregnancy. Lesbian and bisexual women may also experience judgemental attitudes about their parental choices and abilities. This knowledge can be used against them by abusers as part of the pattern of control.
- Using someone’s sexuality to abuse them – threats to ‘out’ a woman, disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity without their consent to family/employers etc, criticising them for not being a ‘real’ lesbian or bisexual woman, playing on fears that no-one will help due to sexual orientation and that agencies such as the Police are homophobic or biphobic. This can lead to a woman thinking services are not aimed at them or would not offer an appropriate service. The way some domestic abuse services market themselves can lead LGBT people to question whether the service is for them.
- People may wrongly assume that abuse between people of the same sex is mutual.
- If abuse occurs the couple will ‘play out’ heterosexual gender roles e.g., the victim will be more feminine whilst the abuser is more masculine. Domestic abuse is often assumed to be a problem of heterosexual relationships, and/or that it is primarily a problem of physical violence with the abuse perpetrated by the bigger, ‘stronger’ heterosexual man against the smaller, ‘weaker’ heterosexual woman. This public story can affect a client’s decision to seek help, as they are less likely to label themselves as experiencing or using abuse if they are unable to identify with the characteristics of domestic abuse this perception present.
- A lesbian or bisexual woman is more able to leave an abusive relationship because there are no children, or one parent is not the biological parent. All these myths are based on misconceptions and prejudice ideas about family. Where someone is experiencing domestic abuse, it is because one person (former or current partner) is attempting to exert power or control over them, exactly as it is in a heterosexual situation. Regardless of the gender of a partner or ex-partner, or the presence of children, it can be very difficult for any woman to leave an abusive relationship.
Specific Issues Faced by Transgender Women
A recent study in Scotland showed that the most frequent form of abuse experienced by transgender women was transphobic emotional abuse. Some of the behaviours described were:
- Stopping someone from taking medication or having treatment needed to express gender identity e.g. hormones, surgery.
- Stopping someone from being able to express their gender identity through other changes in appearance e.g. the clothes they wear, hair, make-up.
- Stopping someone from being able to express gender identity through how they describe themselves e.g. name and pronouns used.
- Stopping someone from telling other people about their trans background or identity.
- Threatening to tell people about someone’s trans background or identity.
- Making someone feel ashamed, guilty or wrong about their trans background or identity.
- Stopping someone from engaging with other trans people or attending transgender social groups and support groups.
- Drawing attention to, or focus on, parts of someone’s body that they feel uncomfortable about.
Coming Out and Transitioning in an Existing Relationship
Transgender people are at a high risk of domestic abuse, especially emotionally abusive transphobic behaviours, when they come out as trans for the first time to existing partners. A second high risk point for domestic abuse, especially emotionally abusive transphobic behaviours, occurs when a person reveals plans to undergo gender reassignment to a partner who is already aware of the persons trans identity but has been assuming that they would not transition. The negative partner’s reactions include a range of verbal, emotional and physical abuses. Cases that involve extreme violence have also been disclosed to the Scottish Transgender Alliance.
Useful resources
LGBT CHARTER RIGHTS
Take the pledge
Click here to pledge to promote to the LGBT community that DWA welcomes all LGBT women and stands against prejudice and discrimination.