ACON works hard to raise awareness within the community through its website: www.acon.org.au/.
What is remarkable about this initiative is the issues are not swept under the carpet like they traditionally are in the non-LGBTI community. ACON calls a spade a spade. The website is full of well-researched advice including how to define domestic violence. It isn’t about a black eye or a broken arm: domestic and family violence is not just physical but can take many forms, including sexual, emotional or psychological abuse; social, financial, verbal threats; stalking and harassment.
ACON goes further. Even though the occurrence of domestic violence is the same, LGBTI victims are less likely than their non-LGBTI counterparts to find support services that meet their specific needs. These needs are vastly different from the challenges in the non-LGBTI community but no less important.
Domestic violence in LGBTI relationships includes: using someone’s intersex status, sexuality, gender, gender expression, transgender or HIV status against them; threatening to “out” someone to their family, friends, community or workplace; and controlling someone’s medications, access to gender transition related healthcare, or pressuring them to conform to sex or gender “norms”.
Other issues include a lack of confidentiality and appropriate language to discuss abuse in LGBTI communities/relationships; a shortage of mainstream services that address the needs of LGBTI people, such as safe housing services for male victims, supports for female perpetrators, and transgender and intersex inclusive services; fear of lack of understanding, minimisation and/or discrimination from police and service providers; as well as fear around differing legal rights over children and assets.
Many of these specific needs stem from a lack of education within the government and within local community services, which is something ACON is trying desperately to change.
Bill Shorten recently announced that a Labor federal government would appoint a full-time LGBTI Discrimination Commissioner to the Australian Human Rights Commission to help build a more inclusive Australia. This development would benefit and educate the LGBTI community and raise awareness of the unique set of challenges they face with regards to domestic and family violence.
