Domestic Violence Doesn’t Discriminate: A Pride Month Conversation🏳️🌈
June is Pride Month, and it’s also an important time to talk about something that is often overlooked: domestic violence in LGBTQIA+ relationships.
Too many people assume that abuse doesn’t happen in same-sex relationships because it’s “two women” or “two men.” That assumption is dangerous. Abuse is abuse, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.
Domestic violence can look like emotional abuse, financial control, intimidation, manipulation, isolation, verbal attacks, threats, or physical violence. Survivors in the LGBTQIA+ community often face additional barriers to seeking help because their experiences are dismissed, minimized, or simply not talked about.
Recently, I listened to someone share her experience of being abused by the woman she loved. She described being cursed at, having things thrown at her, being financially controlled, and feeling like her thoughts and feelings didn’t matter. Sadly, her story is not unique.
Survivors in the LGBTQIA+ community deserve to be seen, believed, supported, and protected. Domestic violence does not discriminate, and neither should our advocacy.
This Pride Month, let’s make room for these conversations. Awareness saves lives. Support matters. Every survivor matters.
