Perhaps the most isolated crime victims are lesbian and bisexual survivors of woman-to-woman sexual violence. Multifaceted sexual-identity issues combine with shame and institutionalized heterosexism to make society unable to acknowledge such assaults. The legal system, women's support services, and the lesbian community are just beginning to name such behaviors, let alone confronting and dealing with them. Women's studies professor Girshick breaks new ground as she plumbs the experiences and thoughts of 70 women, gleaned from a nationwide U.S. survey and in-depth interviews. She documents the women's responses to the violence, whether they received or were denied aid, and whether silence was imposed on them. Her insightful and provocative work well may stir controversy even as it sheds light on a previously shadowed subject. Dedicated to "those who are still silenced," the book also powerfully explores the need for community and such preconceived notions and myths as lesbian utopia. A worthy addition to the sociology of violence in women's lives.
Whitney ScottCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Kurzbeschreibung
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.
