Intimate Partner Violence: Bi+ Inclusive Practice Report
Bi+ women experience high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV), are often failed by the health and justice systems and yet are largely invisible from current IPV frameworks and practice. This 2023 report presents the findings of a project exploring the experiences and needs of bi+ women who are exposed to IPV.
Led by Melbourne Bisexual Network, the project collaborated with organisations working in violence prevention and response (Safe and Equal and Berry Street) to create bi+ inclusive practice resources, and to improve outcomes for bi+ women in their care.
Misogyny and biphobia intersect to produce bimisogyny, which fetishizes and villainizes bisexuality. This results in stereotypes and prejudices about bi+ women, including that they are greedy, indecisive or untrustworthy, or that bi+ people do not belong in queer or straight spaces. Bimisogyny is both a driver of violence against bi+ women and a barrier to bi+ women accessing appropriate support.
Significant work is needed to develop interventions which prevent and respond to these stereotypes to create safer communities for bi+ women.
The report contains five recommendations to address these issues.
Citation: Loomis, A, Mountford, R., Muller, J., McKay, P., & Grigg, M. (2023). Intimate Partner Violence: Bi+ Inclusive Practice Report. Melbourne Bisexual Network.
Want a printed copy of the report? Email us and we’ll send you a copy.
View a recording of the panel discussion at the publication launch at RMIT, September 2023. This event formed part of Australia’s national bi+ conference, Stand Bi Us.