Nowhere to hide: Lesbian battering, homophobia, and minority stress

This article examines the relationship between lesbian battering, homophobi a (both external and internalized), and the stress of living as a member of an oppressed minority. While domestic violence in lesbian relationships pa rallels domestic violence in heterosexual relationships in many ways, the c ontext of homophobia in society, in addition to sexism, creates some unique dynamics, issues, and barriers to change. Drawing upon a review of the the oretical and empirical literature, as well as the author's clinical experie nce as a lesbian psychotherapist, the impact of the homophobic context on l esbian battering is examined from the perspective of victims, perpetrators, and helping systems. (C) 2001 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserv ed.