Speaking silence: Definitional dialogues in abusive lesbian relationships

Long-term, in-depth interviews with 11 abused lesbians and 10 domestic violence advocates reveal how lesbian victims struggle to define the relationship's abuse, their lesbian identity,and their own understanding of gendered violence in the context of cultural and institutional stigmatization of lesbians. By understanding abused lesbians' silence as constitutive of their definitional dialogues about their relationships and the abuse, researchers and advocates can begin to determine who asserts definitional hegemony in the relationship. The author concludes by suggesting practical strategies that researchers and advocates can deploy to include abused lesbians in domestic violence theory, praxis, and services.