24-hour crisis Facts About Intimate Partner Violence in the LGBTQIA+ Community
Prevalence Statistics
1. Bisexual women experience the highest rates of intimate partner violence 61% of bisexual women have experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime, compared to 35% of heterosexual women.
2. Lesbian women face elevated rates of IPV 44% of lesbian women experience rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime, compared to 35% of heterosexual women.
3. Transgender individuals experience IPV at alarming rates More than half (54%) of transgender and non-binary people have experienced intimate partner violence at some point in their lifetimes.
4. Bisexual men report higher IPV rates than heterosexual men 37% of bisexual men have experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, compared to 29% of heterosexual men.
5. Gay men’s IPV experiences 26% of gay men have experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
6. Sexual assault among transgender individuals Nearly half (47%) of transgender people have been sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime, with 10% experiencing sexual assault in the past year.
7. Rate disparities for bisexual individuals Domestic violence rates are eight times higher among bisexual persons (32.3 per 1,000) compared to heterosexual persons (4.2 per 1,000).
Youth and Dating Violence
8. LGBTQ+ youth face higher rates of dating violence 18% of LGBTQ youth reported experiencing physical dating violence and 16% reported sexual dating violence, compared to 7% physical and 8% sexual dating violence among non-LGBTQ youth.
9. Transgender high school students experience elevated violence 26% of transgender students report physical dating violence and 23% report sexual dating violence, compared to 15% and 16% respectively among cisgender peers.
Intersectional Vulnerabilities
10. Black and African American LGBTQIA+ individuals face compounded risks Black and African American LGBTQIA+ individuals are more likely to experience physical violence than their peers. 53% of Black transgender respondents have been sexually assaulted in their lifetime.
Barriers to Services and Support
11. Denial of shelter services 44% of LGBTQ+ survivors of intimate partner violence were denied shelter services when seeking help, according to a 2016 report.
12. Healthcare avoidance due to discrimination 23% of transgender individuals have avoided necessary healthcare due to fear of mistreatment, and 33% who saw a healthcare provider faced negative experiences related to being transgender.
Unique Forms of Abuse
13. Identity-based abuse tactics Abusers may weaponize homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia, using threats of “outing” or undermining their partner’s gender identity as tools of control.
Global Context
14. Legal discrimination compounds vulnerability As of 2024, at least 67 countries have laws criminalizing same-sex relations, creating additional barriers to seeking help and reporting violence.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, Human Rights Campaign, Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs