On July 1, the Andrews government announced a hefty funding boost for “LGBTIQ Family Violence Prevention”.  

It was a curious media release which revealed a “new program is being developed to help prevent family violence against people from LGBTIQ communities.” 

Around $95,000 in government funding has been given to La Trobe University’s Rainbow Health Victoria.

The release said the funding would be used, “to develop a vital family violence prevention training program to help reduce family violence against LGBTIQ Victorians.”

Ahh, the gravy train of government funding…

Public money is being poured into “programs and activities to address violence against people from LGBTIQ communities.”

Minister for Prevention of Family Violence Gabrielle Williams said, “The groundbreaking new guide will help build critical evidence and strengthen sector capacity to understand what works to address family violence against people from LGBTIQ communities. 

“LGBTIQ Victorians need responsive and inclusive family violence services, and despite our progress, we know the still experience stigma and marginalisation – that’s why programs like this are so important.” 

This, right here in black and white is how victim groups are crafted and the narrative streamed.  

Buzzwords are drizzled through the narrative like virtue signalling gravy. 

“Stigma”. 

“Marginalisation”.  

“Inclusive”. 

Stigma from whom?  

Marginalised by whom? 

Excluded from what? 

Family violence involves families. People in LGBTIQ relationships are in relationships with other human beings.  

Anyone who’s bothered to scrape away the virtue signalling gravy and examine the data knows that the issue of domestic violence among lesbians is a serious concern, and largely ignored.  

While the government funds a gendered narrative of “toxic masculinity”, pours money into “women’s groups” and offers no actual frontline support to men, how on earth can it simultaneously pour money into LGBTIQ programs?

Because, “stigma”? 

Give me a break.  

A woman in a lesbian relationship may well be a victim of family violence – perpetrated by a woman.  

A woman in a lesbian relationship may well experience coercive control – perpetrated by a woman.

We may have written off DanAndrewstan as a lost cause, but this rot needs to be examined.  

This funding must be questioned.  

This gendered narrative must be held to account.

When feminist theory, and claptrap about gendered power relations, wrapped itself around our domestic violence discussions, it did precisely zero human beings any favours.  

Got something to add? Join the discussion and comment below.