Plans Set for June 19-20: Lesbian/Gay Pride Celebration
Three movies planned for L/G Celebration
AIDS Survey Included/ VT CARES Opens Office/Senate to Take up H.237
Ward 5 Lesbians & Gay Men Meet
VLGR Discrimination and Violence Results
Gay Rights Movement in Perspective
Book Review: Naming the Violence: Speaking Out About...
VT Conference of United Church of Christ Upholds Right to Ordination
Book Review: Naming the Violence: Speaking Out About Lesbian Battering
by Sue Aranoff
Naming the Violence: Speaking Out About Lesbian Battering
Edited by Kem Lobel for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Lesbian Task Force: The Seal Press, 1986
"Naming the Violence" is the first book to come out on the subject of battering in lesbian relationships. As such, it is a landmark in the field of lesbian literature.
"Naming" is a collection of personal narratives' and theory oriented essays that were written by a very diverse group of women.
"Naming" is organized into four parts. Part I and III contain personal accounts by survivors of lesbian battering. Part II and IV contain essays that address many of the issues connected to and involved with lesbian battering. Some of these essays offer ideas for organizing services within the lesbian and shelter movements. "Naming the Violence" would be good reading for any lesbian who has ever been or is currently being battered by other lesbians or gay men who are interested in issues that effect lesbian and gay communities, and anyone working with people who are or were in battering situations. "Naming" might be beneficial to lesbian who were or are in battering situations because it validates and affirms the experiences of battered lesbians as well as the existence of lesbian battery. Many of the narratives relate very similar stories despite the fact they were written by a very diverse group of lesbians. Read together the stories reveal patterns of indifference, disbelief, non-recognition, and non-ownership of lesbian battering on the part of lesbians, shelter workers and friends and family members of the women involved. As "Naming" reveals the existence, persistence and patterns of lesbian battering it conveys the all-important message that no victim/survivor of lesbian battering is the only one that has ever experienced the feelings and events that are so poignantly written about in the narrative sections.
Lesbians, gay men, and shelter workers can read "Naming the Violence" and gain valuable insight into the problem of lesbian battering. From the sections on organizing safe space and shelters they can learn a lot about the needs of lesbians in battering situations. Perhaps some readers will be motivated to act and search for remedies for lesbian and gay men in battering situations who currently have none available to them.
"Naming the Violence" neither raises nor answers some of the trickier questions about lesbian battery, like: What remedies need to be available for both the survivor and the batterer? How can lesbian battery be prevented? How can lesbian batterers be accountable either to the lesbian whom they have battered or to the lesbian community? These important questions are beyond the scope and perhaps the mission of this book. In as much as "Naming the Violence"'s mission is to name the existence of lesbian battery, it's triumphant.