Domestic violence and abuse -Initial findings report 2003
Findings
5.1 Not conforming to the sexual and gender norms of the community can result
in domestic violence. Being LGBT in a Muslim context is considered particularly
threatening as it is considered unnatural and a sin. Public knowledge of
a person ’s homosexuality can bring enormous dishonour and shame to
the family. LBT women do not fulfil the identity and sexual roles that are
required of them and they threaten the patriarchal status quo. Therefore,
some families or family members will resort to domestic violence to control
and hide transgressions of sexual or gender norms. Because of their prescribed
gender roles, women are expected (and forced) to reconcile themselves to
these abusive situations.
5.2 Fear of domestic violence prevents many Muslim LBT women from coming out. It also stops them from revealing the underlying reason for the breakdown of a marriage or from explaining their refusal to get married. (See also under Coming Out.) 5.3 Women with children are often reluctant to leave an abusive husband because they do not want to take their children away from their father, or because they fear custody struggles or even the abduction of their children. (See also under Marriage and Children.)
5.4 Many Muslim women feel unable to disclose that they are subjected to domestic violence. Some even feel that they “deserve to be punished.” This is related to feelings of guilt and shame stemming from the belief that being lesbian, bisexual or transgender is a sin and morally ‘wrong ’. Disclosing domestic violence would often result in coming out as the causes for the domestic violence would become public. This can be very problematic for reasons relating to a woman ’s mental health, feelings of shame as well as the possible consequences for family members, including children. (See also under Identity and Mental Health and other relevant headings.)
5.5 Most Muslim LBT women are brought up to believe that the only real protection that one can have is offered by the family or within the community. For many Muslim women their best friends are members of the family, such as sisters, aunts and cousins. Therefore, protection and support is primarily sought within the family or close community. As a result of the pressure to conform to sexual and gender norms and patriarchal structures within the family, domestic violence is often ‘put up with ’.
5.6 Muslim LBT women are reluctant to approach the police. None had used the Community Safety Units (CSU) in London or lesbian liaison officers outside of London. The police and other organisations ‘external ’ to Muslim communities, are often perceived as hostile and racist. Involving the police or other ‘external ’ organisations in a situation of domestic violence is usually considered a form of ‘betrayal ’ of the family and the community. Their involvement could therefore, in effect, worsen the situation for a Muslim LBT woman. In addition, the police are still widely perceived as homophobic.
5.7 Isolated Muslim LBT women who are subjected to domestic violence often do not know how to get to a refuge. Most who did eventually go to a refuge found out about them via a friend who had obtained the information for them.
5.8 Muslim LBT victims of domestic violence tend to prefer refuges that are race-specific. Those who attended the Safra Project conference considered it important to be around other women from similar backgrounds and in similar situations in order to deal with their feelings of isolation. However, many felt that being LBT was often perceived negatively in black and Asian or predominantly Muslim refuges and community projects. Although Muslim LBT women did want to be able to preserve confidentiality and did not necessarily want to be out to everyone in the refuge, they did feel that it was important to be able to be out to their caseworker.
5.9 Some Muslim LBT women who were caseworkers in refuges themselves were asked by their employer not to be open about their sexual orientation and/or an environment was created where they did not feel comfortable being out. Some caseworkers were also discouraged from asking clients in refuges about their sexual orientation even when they thought this might be a relevant issue. Asking about this was considered to be irrelevant, culturally insensitive, embarrassing or insulting.
5.10 The invisibility of LBT women in refuges, both in terms of caseworkers and clients, makes it more difficult for LBT women to come out. Visibility of out lesbian caseworkers as well as the visibility of imagery and information, (for example through posters), is crucial in making LBT women in refuges feel confident and welcome.
5.11 Some women found that black and Asian refuges were not always able to provide necessary security services, particularly when they are located in areas with large black and Asian communities.
5.12 Special refuges for LBT women were not considered appropriate or useful. Instead, existing refuges should be all-inclusive and there should be a choice in types and locations of refuges, as different situations require different types of refuges.
5.13 Access to appropriate refuges is problematic for some
vulnerable groups, such as mothers with children and women with limited rights
due to immigration status. Refuges are reluctant to accept asylum seekers fleeing
domestic violence, as these women are not entitled to housing benefit, which
is a source of income for the refuge.
Needs
5.14 There is a need for more information on services dealing with domestic
violence to be available in libraries, colleges and doctor surgeries and other
places that are perceived as respectable centres of information.
5.15 There is a need for refuges that are appropriate for Muslim LBT women. All refuges, whether race-specific or not, should have LGBT visibility such as posters and information on help-lines or support groups for LBT women.
5.16 Caseworkers in refuges need to beware of and able to deal with women who are coming out or dealing with sexuality or gender identity issues. There is a need for visibly lesbian caseworkers.
5.17 More funding should be available to refuges so that they are accessible to women who are not entitled to housing benefits, such as asylum seekers.
5.18 Awareness of issues concerning domestic violence needs to be increased particularly within Muslim communities. It is necessary to empower Muslim LBT women to protect themselves and seek assistance.
5.19 More specific research should be done on the barriers preventing Muslim LBT women from reporting either crimes of domestic violence or hate crimes relating to race and/or sexual orientation and gender identity.
