Straighten Up and Act Like a Lady: A Qualitative Study of Lesbian Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

Although scholars have been studying domestic violence for decades now, it is only recently that domestic violence occurring in nonheterosexual relationships has received noteworthy attention. Several researchers have called for further study of lesbian intimate partner violence (IPV) and the experiences of lesbian survivors. This exploratory study was designed to uncover the experiences of lesbian survivors in regards to their background of violence, perception of lesbian community attitudes, and experience with seeking help. Using modified grounded theory, I was able to expose several recurring themes in the data, including the following: history of violence; gendered belief of violence; the reality of lesbian intimate partner violence; help seeking and the silence surrounding lesbian intimate partner violence in the lesbian community; and the roles of homophobia and heterosexism in lesbian intimate partner violence. Survivors repeatedly reported feeling silenced, isolated, and helpless due to the lack of acknowledgment of and support for lesbian survivors of intimate partner violence in their communities. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of women who have endured violence at the hands of their same-sex intimate partners.

Barriers to Help Seeking for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

“…Potocznick (2003) Same-sex couples X Renzetti (1996) IPV service providers Quantitative study X Turrell and Cornell-Swanson (2005) LGBT individuals Quantitative study X Walters (2011) Lesbian women Qualitative study X X West (1992) Lesbian women Review article X Note. These sources are frequently cited in the Barriers sections.…”

“…(e.g., Greenwood et al, 2002), and ''Do you identify as LGBTQ?'' (e.g., Walters, 2011). As a result, researchers may be sampling distinct groups (Cruz & Firestone, 1998;Renzetti, 1997).…”

“…In a recent study, Walters (2011) found the narrative framing men as batterers and women as survivors is so strong that even trained victim advocates may be blind to signs of LGBTQ IPV. One lesbian survivor who was also an advocate said it was hard for her to realize she was in a violent relationship because, in addition to adopting the societal belief that women are nonviolent, she had received formal employee training at a DV shelter that reinforced the notion that IPV requires a male batterer.…”

“…Furthermore, when physical violence occurs between two females, a helper may presume it is merely a ''cat fight'' and is not serious or dangerous (Walters, 2011). One lesbian IPV survivor recalled, ''It's almost like there's this belief that IPV can only happen if there is physical power; there's a physical power difference.…”

An Ecological Framework for Sexual Minority Women’s Health: Factors Associated With Greater Body Mass

“…The prevalence of this myth may influence lesbian/bisexual women to avoid talking about abuse in their relationships or dissatisfaction with their bodies. They may fear shattering the myth and exposing lesbian communities to scrutiny (Walters, 2011) or being rejected by other women for raising these topics (Kelly, 2007;Myers et al, 1999;Pitman, 2000). Feminist ideologies that reject traditional gender norms have been associated with a lower rate of disordered eating (Guille & Chrisler, 1999) and fat-positive movements appear to contain a disproportionate number of lesbian and bisexual women (Cooper, 2012;Saguy & Ward, 2011).…”