Same-sex abuse is often denied or excused
http://www.straightgoods.ca/ViewFeature8.cfm?REF=114Shelters, counsellors not sure how to handle a different kind of couple.
Dateline: Monday, February 25, 2008
by Ginette Petitpas-Taylor for the Moncton Times and Transcript
Abuse may occur in relationships regardless of class, age or sexual orientation.
For people in same-sex relationships, fear of giving detractors any more fodder may be an additional obstacle to asking for help when they are in an abusive relationship. They don't want to reveal that same-sex relationships can be just as volatile and abusive as opposite-sex unions. And if they do look for help, stereotypes and false assumptions surrounding same-sex couples, along with the still-common homophobia and heterosexism, get in the way.
A woman being abused by her female partner is beyond the experience and often the understanding of many people. The reaction to a man being abused by his male partner might well be "You're a man, hit him back."
