Intimate partner violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is any form of violence that takes place within a romantic or sexual relationship. This includes psychological, physical, sexual and emotional violence. IPV can cause family or relationship breakdown, impact child custody, and can have detrimental impacts on the health and wellbeing of those involved.

Queer people can experience IPV in the forms of their partner threatening to out them or from restricting their access to items important to their sexual or gender identity. Queer victims may have partners that try to keep them closeted or reject them because of their gender or sexual identity.

There are unique barriers to queer victims of IPV. Often the services meant to support victims are designed around cisgender, heterosexual monogamous relationships. A queer victim of IPV may be reluctant or fearful of reporting the violence for fear of being outed or experiencing discrimination or hostility.