No More Secrets: Violence in Lesbian Relationships

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Author: Janice Ristock

ISBN-10: 0415929466

ISBN-13: 9780415929462

Category: Domestic violence -> Gays

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Myths: Violence is a male biological trait. When women fight, no one gets seriously hurt. Lesbians don't abuse their spouses. The truth revealed in Janice Ristock's groundbreaking book is that lesbian relationships sometimes do turn violent. Based on interviews with more than one hundred lesbians who have suffered abuse and seventy-five case workers, No More Secrets is a comprehensive account of this startling phenomenon. Although one in four gay and lesbian couples are affected by domestic violence, the problem has remained hidden for several reasons. First is the fear of homophobic backlash should lesbian violence be acknowledged. More significantly, Ristock argues, the lesbian feminist culture has readily adopted the idea that men are more violent than women in order to validate lesbian relationships. Recognizing abuse among lesbians would undermine the cemented belief that domestic abuse is an expression of patriarchy and gender bias. The definitive book on the subject, No More Secrets combines extensive research on the nature of lesbian battering with close-up analysis that will change our understanding of crimes of intimacy in heterosexual and homosexual couples alike. By giving voice to the victims, Ristock helps women to address violence by breaking silences, sharing secrets, and naming the forms of abuse. Publishers Weekly In No More Secrets: Violence in Lesbian Relationships, University of Manitoba women's studies professor Janice Ristock presents one of the first studies of lesbian domestic violence. Basing her work on interviews with victims and social workers, she evaluates firsthand testimony, piecing together how and why lesbian relationships become violent and how the medical and criminal justice systems react when they do. The book concludes with suggestions for battered individuals and for wider community action. ( Feb.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Preface: Bearing Witness1The Emergence of Lesbian Partner Abuse: Creating a New Category12Troubling Tales: Telling Stories, Exposing Language, Raising Questions273What the Body Remembers: Lesbians' Experiences of Relationship Violence494An Innocence Lost: Responses to Violence795What's Written on the Body1116The Politics of Responding to Violence in Lesbian Relationships1417Looking Forward175Notes195Bibliography215Index229