Christina Hernandez from the Jean Nidetch Women's Center gave a presentation on same-sex violence. She discussed key terms, types of victimization like hate crimes and domestic violence, common myths, and statistics. While research is limited, domestic violence occurs in LGBTQ relationships as frequently as heterosexual relationships. Unique challenges for LGBTQ victims include threats of being "outed" and lack of support services. Resources for help were provided.

1. Same-Sex Violence
Christina Hernandez,
Outreach & Awareness Coordinator,
Jean Nidetch Women's Center

2. Agenda
 Terms
 Types of Victimization
 Myths
 Statistics
 Personal stories
 Handout/ Resources

3. Terms
 LGBTQQI
 Lesbian
 Gay
 Bisexual
 Transgender
 Queer or questioning
 Intersexed

4. Term
 Transgender:
 self-identifying term for someone whose gender
identity or expression differs from traditional gender
roles
 also an umbrella term that refers to everyone who
crosses gender roles in one way or another including
transsexuals, drag queens/kings, etc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=aOarssJWHhI
•Gwen Araujo
•Brandon Teena

5. Term
 Queer
 once used to negatively describe a gay man
or woman
 now used by the gay community as a
positive or neutral descriptive of each other
 embracing a word that was used to attack or
degrade, the gay community has
demagnetized the strength of the word,
making it a common everyday term,
lessening the effect of the word when used
against them

6. Term
 Homophobia:
 First used in print in 1969 in Time Magazine. It
was coined by a clinical psychologist, George
Weinberg.
 Irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination
against gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and
queer people
 Prejudice, discrimination, harassment
and acts of violence
 To discriminate is to label one group as
“less good” or “less deserving”
 Discriminatory practices target people who
typically occupy devalued groups

7. Homophobia…
 Internalized homophobia
 Often refuse to believe their own
sexuality
 Believes all the bad “what if’s”
 Institutionalized homophobia
 Systematic oppression forced to
maintain the status quo

8. Homophobia…
 Living with rejection or threat of rejection,
can be detrimental to a person’s sense of
well-being and connection
 Maslow’s Basic Hierarchy of Human Needs
 Love and Belongingness
 We need to feel connected that we fit, that
we are valued.
 Because of perceived or real threat of
rejection, a person may hide his or her
sexual identity
 What is the cost to their sense of self-
esteem?

9. Term
 Heterosexism:
 assumption that everyone is, or
should be, heterosexual
 heterosexuality is the only normal,
natural expression of sexuality
 heterosexuality is superior and
therefore preferable to being gay,
lesbian, bisexual, transgender or
queer

10. Everyday Occurrences
 Invisibility/Isolation
 Qualifiers
 Subject to gay jokes/degrading comments
 Presumption of heterosexuality
 Threats to “disown” by family
 Partner Exclusion
 Perceived danger to children
 Name calling
 Forced sexual acts (rape) to “make” them
straight

11. Relevance to sexual violence
prevention
 We cannot afford, nor would want, to
alienate LGBTQI victims/survivors.

Within the field of sexual violence
prevention, heterosexism can serve to
reinforce homophobia (be it societal or
internalized).

12. Types of Victimization
 Hate Crimes
 Difficult at times to ascertain whether
the crime was, in fact, motivated by
the person’s sexual orientation.
 14th Amendment: Every citizen has
equal protection under the law

13. Types of Victimization
 Sexual Violence
 By stranger
 By known individual
 By significant other
 More judgment on the person’s sexual
orientation than on the attacker
 Heterosexism is at work because it is
typically a heterosexual model upon
which findings are based.

14. Types of Victimization
 Domestic Violence
 Remember, DV is about power and control.
 May be especially difficult for lesbian victim
 Size does not matter
 Verbal and emotional abuse can be
compounded for the lesbian/gay/trans victim/
survivor
 Threats to “out” the person
 Threats to disclose HIV/AIDS status
 Not “easier to leave”
 Individuals may be more intertwined with each
other’s lives
 What happens in DV shelters?

15. Myths vs. Facts
 Sexual assault &  Sexual assault & domestic
violence do occur in LGBTQ
domestic violence don't relationships
occur in LGBTQ  Domestic violence occurs in
relationships (denial) LGBTQ relationships as
frequently and as severely as it
does in heterosexual
relationships
 Level of trauma of sexual
violence is not defined by
whether or not the weapon was
a penis
 LGBTQ survivors also need
support in healing
 Some key dynamics of
domestic violence are the same
in all relationships (violence is
about power & control, violence
occurs in a cycle, violence
escalates over time, etc.

16. Myth 2
 Sexual & domestic  There is nothing
violence occurs in inherently unhealthy
LGBTQ relationships about these relationships
because there is  People do not abuse
something inherently because they are LGBTQ
(or heterosexual). People
unhealthy with these
abuse to have power &
relationships control over another
person.
 LGBTQ people can have
healthy relationships

17. Myth 3
 The bigger, more  Size,
masculine or masculine masculinity/femininity and
identified person is always gender identity are not
the abusive partner in a causes of abuse and do
domestic violence not determine who is the
relationship abusive partner
 Sexual and domestic
violence does not occur in
butch/femme
relationships more
frequently

18. Myth 4 & 5
 Sexual and domestic  In all relationships, both
violence in LGBTQ partners can have
relationships is "mutual" unhealthy behavior. But
(both partners are in domestic violence
abusive to each other) relationships, mutual
abuse rarely happens.
 It's easier for an LGBTQ  The reasons why it is
person to leave an difficult to leave an
abusive relationship abusive relationship are
similar for all abusive
relationships.
Homo/bi/transphobic &
heterosexism also
contribute to difficulties
leaving an abusive
relationship

19. Myth 6
 Sexual & domestic  Sexual & domestic
violence occurs in LGBTQ violence does not occur in
relationships that engage LGBTQ relationships that
in SM play more engage in SM play more
frequently frequently
 SM play is sexual and  SM play is consensual so
domestic violence it is not abuse
 Children are never an  LGBTQ people have
issue in LGBTQ children in their lives
relationships

20. Statistics
 Substantial lack of current research in this area
 Domestic violence occurs in LGBTQ
relationships with the same severity and
frequency as in heterosexual relationships
 Consistent abuse occurs in as many as 1 in 3
relationships
 At least one episode of abuse occurs in 1 in 2
relationships
 Lesbians are more likely to report sexual
violence than gay men
 1 in 2 transgender individuals have experienced
sexual violence (FORGE)

21. Unique considerations
 Threat of being “outed” when an LGBTQ person is
abused
 Concerned about betraying the LGBTQ community
when reporting
 Homophobia intersects with possible sexism and racism
for LGBTQ victims/survivors
 Institutionalized homophobia affects the support
services victims/survivors receive
 Shelters are often not available to men, while women
may not feel safe if their abuser has access
 Victims of same-sex sexual violence are not necessarily
LGBTQ
 Lack of knowledge about LGBTQ sexual violence affects
victims/survivors, educators, and support services

22. Resources/handout
 Community United Against Violence (CUAV)
 24 hr crisis line: 415-333-HELP (4357) www.cuav.org
 Matthew’s Place
 www.matthewshepard.org
 Trevor Helpline: 1-866-4-U-TREVOR
 GLBT National Youth Talkline: 1-800-246-PRIDE (7743)
 National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs
 212-714-1184 www.ncavp.org
 FORGE: For Ourselves: Reworking Gender Expression
 www.forge-forward.org

23. Contact us at…
Christina Hernandez,
Outreach & Awareness Coordinator, JNWC
christina.hernandez@unlv.edu or
895-0689