Domestic violence is insidious and widespread - but how do we handle this issue in the context of same-sex relationships? Ben Bjarnesen is an educator and campaigner who believes that all people, no matter what their sexuality or gender identity is, deserve the right to live a life free from domestic and family violence. Ben became a fierce advocate of improved services for LGBTQ victims and survivors of DV after discovering a gap in services through his abusive same-sex relationship. Ben is a Churchill Fellow who investigated best practice solutions for the Police to enhance the way they respond to DV in LGBTQ communities. In 2020, he founded the LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Foundation, and was inducted into the Queensland Government Domestic & Family Violence Prevention Honour Roll. Most recently, he was named as a Human Rights Hero by the Australian Human Rights Commission. In his talk, Ben focuses on creating awareness about DV in any relationship, and equips the audience with strategies to identify and curb this social evil. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx