Gay Domestic Violence

(San Francisco, California) Who would have thought that there would be a need for battered men's shelters?

From SacBee.com:

[A]s gays and lesbians have achieved greater recognition, so too has the darker side of same-sex relationships. After years of fighting what one service provider called an "invisible epidemic," lawmakers and government agencies are taking steps to abandon the assumption that spousal abuse does not occur in couples who share the same gender.

The California Legislature is considering a law requiring gays and lesbians who register as domestic partners to pay $23 toward domestic violence programs specifically aimed at same-sex couples. If it passes as expected, the measure would be the first of its kind in the nation.

So, the bruisees would benefit from the battered men's shelter surcharges on domestic registration fees. At $23 per registration, the state will have to attract thousands upon thousands of same-sex couples to pay for anything substantive.

Nevertheless, with the identification of a problem area, the first response from the politicians is to create a new program with a new tax rather than try to find a solution within existing mental health and community anti-violence programs. Welcome to the Hotel California.