(Dis)counted stories: Domestic violence and lesbians

Abstract

Over the past three decades the issue of domestic violence in heterosexual relationships has been at the forefront of feminist activism and scholarship in the western world. Until recently there has been a reticence to explore women's violence, including violence in lesbian relationships. In this article I outline research undertaken in Australia on domestic violence in lesbian relationships, which involved interviews with 21 lesbians who identified as survivors of domestic violence. I summarize the findings of the research in order to demonstrate how the heterogeneity of lesbians' experiences poses challenges to practitioners and policy makers in health and human services to develop policy and practice that can take into account, and respond to, the different needs and interests of lesbians. Copyright ©2008 Sage Publications Los Angeles.