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Abstract
Despite recent strides taken by legislation in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), research investigating police attitudes and law enforcement training on domestic violence/intimate partner violence disputes involving sexual minorities is largely unexplored. Given the overwhelming prevalence and uniqueness of sexual minority domestic violence/ intimate partner violence as well as the failure of law enforcement to historically address incidents as such, these individuals may not be receiving the legal protections put forth by the U.S Supreme Court. Using an original survey to Chief Executive (or designee) roles within municipal, county sheriffs, or tribal police agencies in the United States, this study aimed to better understand law enforcement agency perceptions and examined training standards related to sexual minority domestic violence/intimate partner violence. Through a progression of analyses, findings revealed that although a large proportion of agencies have implemented domestic violence/intimate partner violence training specific to the sexual minority populations, police perceptions toward such incidents are poor. More research is necessary to understand the ability of training to improve law enforcement response to these incidents and affirm the legal protections granted by the 2015 case, Obergefell v. Hodges. Study limitations, policy implications, and guidance for future research are discussed.