Domestic violence occurs in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) relationships as often as in straight (or heterosexual) relationships. While many of the dynamics of battering of LGBT partners are the same as in straight relationships, there are also some differences.

It is important for survivors of LGBT battering to be aware of the specific dynamics of domestic violence in LGBT relationships so that they can better plan for their safety. It is equally important for domestic violence programs to understand LGBT culture and how LGBT people are affected by battering so that more effective services can be provided.

In the summer of 2003, the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCCADV) began a new initiative aimed at addressing domestic violence in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender relationships. The initiative, Project Rainbow Net, is a grassroots effort based on the insight of an advisory council made up of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people who have an understanding of domestic violence in LGBT relationships and a desire to end it.

Project Rainbow Net will provide a series of trainings to LGBT community groups and domestic violence service providers across the state in order to improve our state's response to LGBT survivors of domestic violence. Information will be gathered and disseminated to domestic violence programs and LGBT community groups working to address domestic violence in LGBT relationships.

Is there something wrong with being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender?
No. There have been people in all cultures and times throughout human history who have identified themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT). Homosexuality is not an illness or a disorder, a fact that is agreed upon by both the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association. Homosexuality was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of the American Pyschiatric Association in 1974. Being transgender or gender variant is not a disorder either, although Gender Identity Dysphoria (GID) is still listed in the DSM of the American Pyschiatric Association. Being GLBT is as much a human variation as being left-handed - a person's sexual orientation and gender identity are just another piece of who they are. There is nothing wrong with being GLBT - in fact, there's a lot to celebrate. What is wrong are discriminatory laws, policies and attitudes that persist in our schools, workplaces, places of worship and larger communities. Read more here --->