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Thank you Glenn and Marc for helping fight the bigotry!
http://glennsacks.com/blog/?p=1336
Some Good News on Domestic Violence in California
Background: As I've often noted, three decades of research shows that women are at least as likely to attack their male partners as vice versa, and that a significant minority of domestic violence injuries are sustained by heterosexual men. Research shows that women use weapons and the element of surprise to help balance the scales. To learn more, see my co-authored column October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month Ignores Many Victims (Louisville Courier-Journal & others, 10/4/06)
I've noted on various occasions that the only domestic violence shelter which accepts male victims in all of Southern California is the Valley Oasis shelter out in the desert north of Los Angeles. Feminists sometimes assert that California women's shelters will accept male victims, but it isn't true.
When I was writing a newspaper column about this a few years ago, I posed as a male victim of domestic violence and called every domestic violence shelter in all of Los Angeles and San Diego counties. Not a single one would accept me or offer assistance, with the exception of Valley Oasis. Most flatly refused any assistance at all, but a couple did offer me space in a homeless shelter. When I asked, "Am I supposed to take my children to a homeless shelter?", they replied, "That's all we can do."
To their credit, however, several of the shelter directors and workers did sympathize, telling me that we need shelters and services for men.
Marc Angelucci, president of the National Coalition of Free Men Los Angeles, writes with some good news--WomenShelter of Long Beach is becoming the second shelter in Los Angeles County to provide outreach and services to male victims. Below is a letter Marc had published in a local paper.
Male Victims
To The Editor,
As an organization that examines the way sex discrimination affects men and boys, we are pleased that the WomenShelter of Long Beach is increasing its outreach to male victims and to other historically neglected victims and that it recognizes how its gender-specific name can be a barrier to male victims. (“WomenShelter Celebrates Three Decades Of Service,” Oct. 11)
We hope that the WomenShelter will eventually change its name to be gender-inclusive so no victims will be discouraged from seeking services.
The six male victims served by the WomenShelter during a three-month period are the tip of the iceberg. Men are less likely than women to seek help, for a variety of reasons (shame, lack of outreach/awareness, fear of false arrest, etc.), but about 25% of domestic violence police calls now come from male victims. That number is increasing, and yet the problem still remains extremely hidden.
California State University, Long Beach, Professor Martin Fiebert maintains an online bibliography that now summarizes more than 200 studies and scholarly analyses showing men in heterosexual relationships are victims of domestic violence at rates comparable to women and that men sustain about one-third of the injuries. Men in same-sex relationships are victims in high numbers as well. For decades, these victims and their children have been ignored, neglected and covered up, largely for political and ideological reasons. That has got to change.
WomenShelter of Long Beach and Valley Oasis Shelter in Lancaster are the only domestic violence shelters we have found in Los Angeles County that make a sincere effort to serve both male and female victims. We thank them for this and hope they will serve as an example to other programs.
We also thank the Gazette for covering this issue fairly and without the anti-male sexism commonly found in the media.
Marc E. Angelucci
President, LA Chapter
National Coalition of Free Men
