Many people think about partner violence (PV) as occurring only in partners of the opposite gender.
Less understood is the occurrence of PV among partners of the same sex. Partner violence occurs in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Queer (LGBTQ) community at similar rates as in the community-at-large. Partner violence among LGBTQ couples occurs regardless of the race, ethnicity, class, age, education level or occupation of the victims and perpetrators—as is also the case in heterosexual partner violence.
However, victims of same-sex partner violence may face added challenges, over and above the many challenges experienced by victims of heterosexual partner violence, when attempting to access help.