Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence in Rainbow Communities

This infographic provides information about the experiences of intimate partner violence survivors, which also include LGBT survivors. It also provides tailored information about various forms of abuse that LGBT survivors face.

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Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence

IPV Survivors--including LGBT Survivors--may experience:

LGBT Survivors may also experience:
Emotional Abuse
  • Put downs
  • Humiliation
  • Questioning the validity of the survivor’s gender identity or sexual orientation
  • Controlling how partner expresses their gender or sexuality
  • Using homo/bi/transphobic slurs
Minimizing, Denying or Blaming
  • Minimizing abuse
  • Blaming survivor for the abuse
  • Accusing survivor of “mutual abuse”
  • Denying abuse can occur in same sex relationships or with transgender partner
Physical Abuse
  • Shoving, pushing
  • Slapping, hitting
  • Kicking
  • Biting
  • Strangulation
  • Withholding hormones for gender transition
  • Forced public displays of affection in areas that are not LGBT friendly to intimidate or scare partner
  • Forced public displays of affection that “out” a partner
Sexual Abuse
  • Physical assaults to “sexual” body areas
  • Forced sex
  • Refusal to allow safe sex practices
  • Using gender roles to control what partner does sexually
  • Forcing partner to have sex in a way that doesn’t align with their gender identity
Cultural/Identity Abuse
  • Using the survivor’s culture/identity against them
  • Preventing survivors from observing the customs of their faith
  • Using the survivor’s sexual orientation or gender identity against them
  • Reinforcing internalized homo/bi/transphobia
Using Children
  • Using children to relay abusive messages
  • Threatening to take the children
  • Threatening to harm the children
  • Threats to or revealing sexual orientation and gender identity to children
  • Threats to use sexual orientation or gender identity to gain custody of children
Using Isolation
  • Limiting the survivor’s activities and contact with others
  • Making survivors account for their whereabouts
  • Threatening to or isolating from LGBT networks and social spaces
  • Threatening to “out” survivors to estrange them from family or friends
Economic Abuse
  • Controlling finances
  • Making survivor ask for money
  • Interfering with work or education
  • Using credit cards without permission
  • Threatening to “out” partner to employer
  • Identity theft which can be easier if the partner is the same sex


This infographic emerged from Issue-Based Newsletter 12: Intimate Partner Violence in Rainbow Communities.

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