Why there's a domestic violence problem among gay men in Britain
Why there's a domestic violence problem among gay men in Britain
- Nasir met Will* five years ago. “He was sort of seeing someone at the time, but it was obvious that we had a very powerful connection." They became an item, but as the months changed, so too did the dynamic of their relationship. Will became controlling, even abusive. “He created an environment where I felt like an unattractive, disgusting person who wasn’t good enough for him," says Nasir. "I lost my sense of self worth.”
It's a situation that is surprisingly prevalent among the gay male community. While women are almost twice as likely to be victims of domestic abuse as men, LGBT charity Stonewall says gay men are more vulnerable still: almost half (49pc) of gay and bisexual men in the UK report experiencing at least one incident of domestic abuse from a family member or partner since the age of 16.
- Nasir met Will* five years ago. “He was sort of seeing someone at the time, but it was obvious that we had a very powerful connection." They became an item, but as the months changed, so too did the dynamic of their relationship. Will became controlling, even abusive. “He created an environment where I felt like an unattractive, disgusting person who wasn’t good enough for him," says Nasir. "I lost my sense of self worth.”
It's a situation that is surprisingly prevalent among the gay male community. While women are almost twice as likely to be victims of domestic abuse as men, LGBT charity Stonewall says gay men are more vulnerable still: almost half (49pc) of gay and bisexual men in the UK report experiencing at least one incident of domestic abuse from a family member or partner since the age of 16.