08/07/2025
In 2015, the Williams Institute published a comprehensive review of 42 studies looking at intimate partner violence among LBGTQ people. It’s been misquoted ever since. While the study was able to compile illuminating information about the rate of violence that q***r people experience, one stat has been taken out of context. That stat is that 61% of bisexual women and 44% of le****ns have experienced IPV IN THEIR LIFETIME. The last bit is crucial, but often glossed over or left out entirely. What we also saw in the study was a further elaboration that the CDC study demonstrated that 89.5% of bisexual women and a third of le****ns had experienced this violence only with male partners. However, if we omit this last part, and only present the first, accompanied with the other stat which claims only 32% of straight women have experienced DV, we’re led to believe that women are overwhelming perpetuators of abuse - which is NOT what the research shows. Now obviously, as it states, there are instances of violence between women. I’m certainly not denying that, it’s right there in the numbers. However, by deliberately framing the stats in a way that omits the role that men play, we’re left with an entirely inaccurate view of reality. As a result we see reactionary infographics imploring women to stop abusing each other pop up on a semi-regular basis and a podcast bros gloating about how peaceful they are compared to violent le****ns (I’m not joking). And that s**t is relatively benign compared to the other information in the Williams Institute study that shows the barriers q***r people face when trying to access care or support for DV. I think it’s important, especially in the current state of the world, for us to be taking a more clear eyed look at the information that’s presented about q***r people, and interrogate the narrative framing when things smell fishy. Is it that gay women are battering each other at higher rates than any other demographic or is it that a relationship between two women has two times more people who are statistically likely to have been victimized AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIFE? Reading comprehension is key.