Is Your Relationship Making You Feel Confused, Nervous, or Scared?

 

• Do you feel like you have to watch what you say or do around your partner?

• Do you ever feel afraid of your partner?

• Do you feel your relationship is either great—lots of attention, hot pleasurable sex, very loving--or awful—fighting, even if you can’t don’t fight back, neglect, manipulation, lies--but never just “okay?”

We’re considering a broad spectrum of partner relationships here, from hook-ups and sex buddies, to people you’re dating, to roommates, lovers, spouses, and ex’s….

Has Your Partner Ever:

• Told you who you could see or where you could go?  Or secretly followed you or tracked you by GPS?
• Told you what to wear or what not to wear?
• Told you how you should spend your money?
• Gotten in the way of your medical care?
• Threatened you physically?
• Pushed you, hit you, or held you down?
• Threatened to tell out you for your sexuality, gender identity, HIV status, fetishes or immigration status?
• Forced you to have sex in unwanted ways or against your will?
• Refused to have safer sex?
• Disrespected your "safe words" or violated the boundaries of a "scene" in BDSM/ Leather or Role Playing?

If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, your partner may be abusive.  All of these activities suggest an effort by one person to control another.  Visit our What is IPV/Abuse page for more information on how Intimate Partner Violence can be manifested

 

You are not alone. Talk to someone who can help. No one deserves to be abused.

 

Living with intimate partner violence is not easy. It can be hard to talk to the person you love about how she or he is hurting you.

 

If you are in imminent physical danger, call 911

The police must treat cases of same-sex partner violence the same way that they treat heterosexual domestic violence. This means that abusive partners can be arrested. Also, survivors of same-sex partner violence can obtain an Order of Protection. This is a court order that forbids the abusive partner from further threatening or harming the abused partner.

 

You may also call one of these 24-hour telephone resources to talk through your situation and begin connecting with the resources you need:

 

Whitman-Walker Clinic’s LGBTQ/HIV+ Crisis Intervention Line  202-797-4444

 

National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-SAFE (7233) TTY: 800-787-3224

 

DC Rape Crisis Center: 202-333-RAPE

Trevor LGBTQ Suicide Hotline: 866-4-U-TREVOR

 

And while you're here, grab a copy of our brochure with additional resources Click here for PDF