The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) today released its sixth annual report on domestic violence in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) relationships. The report contains information compiled from 12 agencies serving LGBT and HIV-affected victims of domestic violence in nine regions around the country. There were 5,046 cases of domestic violence documented in the 2001 report, which represented a 25% increase from the 4,048 cases recorded in 2000. This year's report also contains an updated state-by-state analysis of the availability of protective orders for LGBT domestic violence survivors. NCAVP representatives say they have received an overwhelming number of requests for this information, which had not been updated since a similar feature was published in NCAVP's 1996.

Representatives attributed the 25% increased rate of reporting in 2001 largely to use of new methods for outreach and expansion of service provision at some of the participant agencies. The regional and local organizations and programs contributing data to this report include the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center's STOP Partner Abuse Program, Community United Against Violence, WOMAN, Inc, and Asian Woman's Shelter in San Francisco, the Colorado Anti-Violence Program, Horizons Anti-Violence Program in Chicago, the Violence Recovery Program of Fenway Community Health and The Network/La Red in Boston, OutFront Minnesota, the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center of Greater Cleveland, and the Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization in Columbus, Ohio. The national and local editions of the report were released at these sites today.

"We compile this report each year to give voice to LGBT people who are survivors of domestic violence. Given the lack of documented information and research on this topic, it is vital to take every opportunity to reveal this problem," said Emily Pitt, NCAVP's Board Co-Chair. Of the victims in the 5,046 cases documented by NCAVP, 49% were male and 43% were female. Less than 4% of victims identified as transgender, although NCAVP representatives noted that it is possible that some people who may identify as transgender were included in the male and female categories. Of the victims in the report, 26% were known to be white, 15% Latino(a), 10% African-American, 3% Asian/Pacific Islander. Arab/Middle Eastern, multiracial, Native American and Jewish each contained less than 1% to 1% of the total, race was unspecified in an unusually high percentage (39%) of reports.

"The overall growth in the number of reported cases each year only serves to underscore the tremendous need for increased resources dedicated to responses to domestic violence in the lives of LGBT people," said Clarence Patton, NCAVP's acting executive director. "In particular, there must be greater resources allocated to more successfully reaching traditionally underserved members of the community, including people of color, non-English speakers, those in rural areas, as well as young people and senior citizens. While individual programs make strides, as a whole, we still face challenges in serving the full diversity of the LGBT community," continued Patton.

"Domestic Violence is an issue of public health and public safety for LGBT people, and yet while there have been gains in calling attention to this issue among heterosexual women, there still exists great denial and resistance to addressing its effect on the lives of LGBT people," said Rachel Baum, NCAVP's Coordinator of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Programs. "Domestic violence thrives on shame and silence, therefore it is critical to the lives of LGBT survivors that we continue to raise visibility for their experiences and develop effective responses," concluded Baum.

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs addresses the pervasive problem of violence committed against and within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and HIV-positive communities. NCAVP is a coalition of programs that document and advocate for victims of anti-LGBT and anti-HIV/AIDS violence/harassment, domestic violence, sexual assault, police misconduct and other forms of victimization.