Drbev

SAN FRANCISCO—Simone, 54, female, lesbian, white, urban. I was with my abusive partner, Tasha, for ten years. “The most recent incident occurred when I told Tasha that I didn’t want to go on vacation with her. She exploded and started yelling, “I want you out of this house,” and threw my clothing and other belongings out of our home. I left and was too frightened to return. I eventually came back to pick up my belongings and Tasha pushed and shoved me, threatened to melt the hard drive on my computer, and said, “If you take anything from this house that is mine, you will draw your last breath.” Tasha threatened to kill me two more times while we were breaking up."Domestic violence in the GLBTQ community is a serious issue. The rates of domestic violence in same-gender relationships is roughly the same as domestic violence against heterosexual women. As in opposite-gendered couples, the problem is likely under-reported. Facing a system which is often oppressive and hostile towards those who identify as anyt