To understand intimate-partner violence and sexual violence, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted its National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey. The results showed that more than one-third of women and a quarter of men have suffered intimate-partner violence, sexual violence or stalking. Another figure in the survey that drew much attention was that as many as 61 percent of bisexual women reported being affected by violence.
How should these results be understood? Not long ago, the Awakening News Networks quoted the survey, saying that sexual violence against females in their early years could be one of the contributing factors affecting their sexual orientation. However, the CDC said nothing about “contributing factors” in its report, which simply described the prevalence of sexual violence. Is it reasonable to speculate that a person is attracted to the opposite sex because they experienced sexual violence in their early years?
The WHO removed homosexuality as a mental disorder from its manual a long time ago, while Taiwanese psychological counseling associations say that homosexuality and bisexuality are normal sexualities that need not and should not be “corrected.” The misleading media release by the network shows that with a prejudiced interpretation of data in which minorities and marginalized groups are treated as afflicted, the victims are pushed into a closet where they cannot find help.
The bullying of people over their sexual orientation or gender characteristics is common in schools and the workplace. In addition, organizations that try to “correct” the orientation of homosexuals deny the life experiences of gay people. The statistics on violence against sexual minorities such as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people is a reminder that those in social situations involving gender and sexual orientation might face great pressure.
Systemic exclusion and neglect such as the lack of legal protection for same-sex marriage and other rights; discriminatory actions and attitudes such as the deprivation of the right to work and exposure to verbal humiliation; questioning and belittling the self-recognition of sexual orientation such as strictly determining who are “genuine” homosexuals; denying same-sex relationships based on pseudo-scientific hypotheses on the “same-sex intimate friendship period” that lack a theoretical basis; seeing sexual orientation as a cause-and-effect result of sexual violence — all these problems are creating different degrees of oppression and damage.
It is not difficult to see that as bisexual women are relatively vulnerable in many ways, they are listed as a high-risk group in the survey. The Domestic Violence Prevention Act (家庭暴力防治法) since 2007 has included people who have or have had “de facto marital relationships,” and beginning early next year it is to further ease the regulations by including intimate partners who do not live together. However, if the environment is unfavorable to the survival of homosexuals, it would be difficult for groups to benefit from such resources, despite the law’s good intentions.
Can the life experiences of various groups and the damage caused by structural problems be ignored as a gay-friendly environment is created?
Chen Yu-hsin is a campaign coordinator for the Garden of Hope Foundation.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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