Woman-to-Woman Sexual Violence: Does She Call It Rape?

Most legal systems are unequipped to deal with woman-to-woman sexual assault; women's services do not have the resources to reach out to its victims; and lesbian and gay communities face hurdles in acknowledging its existence. Already dealing with complex issues related to their sexual identities, and frequently overwhelmed by shame, lesbian and bisexual survivors of such violence are among the most isolated of crime victims. Based on a nationwide survey and in-depth intervews, this book exploses the shocking, hidden reality of woman-to-woman sexual violence and gives voice to the abused. Lori B. Girshick explores the experiences and reflections of 70 women, documenting what happened to them, how they responded, and whether they received any help to cope with the emotional impact of their assault. The author discusses how the lesbian community has silenced the survivors of sexual violence due to myths of lesbian utopia, and considers what role societal homophobia, biphobia and heterosexism has played in this silencing. Ranging from date and acquaintance rape to domestic sexual abuse by partners, to sexual harassment in the workplace, these explicit and harrowing stories are intended to provide a fuller understanding of this type of sexual violence than exists anywhere else. While offering insights on a subject rarely discussed in the literature on domestic violence, the book aims to do so with compassion. It recommends how agencies can best provide services, outreach and treatment to survivors of woman-to-woman rape and lesbian batterng, using suggestions from the survivors themselves.