Already in 2011, there have been seven deaths as a result of domestic violence in the LGBT community. It is the problem no one wants to report or even discuss among ourselves. Thanks to the good work of the Anti-Violence Project (AVP) community members who are being abused by their spouses or partners have a champion.

There is real shame about being a survivor of domestic violence. No one tends to take seriously male on male or female on female domestic violence. Especially for men there is a particular difficulty in reporting that they have been beaten and abused by their partners. The community must work with the AVP to ensure that they know survivors have a safe place to seek help.

The National Anti-Violence Project has released its report for the year 2010 and the statistics are cause for concern.

-There were a total of 5,052 reports of domestic violence in our community which is an increase of over 38% from last year.

-There was also a dramatic increase in the physical violence directed at their partners. 55.4% of the survivors reported physical violence from their partners. This is an increase from 38.5% from the previous year.

-Six of our community members were killed by their partners in 2010.

-Over 44% of the LGBT survivors of domestic violence were turned away from traditional shelters!

-Over 54% of survivors who sought court order protection for same sex domestic abuse were denied them by the courts!

-A measurement of the dispair and isolation our survivors are feeling is that in 2009 we saw 22% of the survivors call the police. Last year we saw that only 7% of the survivors felt there was a solution in seeking protection from the police.

If you are a survivor of domestic abuse in the LGBT community, please contact the Anti-Violence Project immediately for help. This community wants to be there for you.