California Cuts Millions from Health and Human Services Programs, Leaves DV Shelters with Nothing
$489 million was recently cut from California’s state budget by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The bulk of that $489 million was taken directly from health and human services programs, regardless of how important that money was to those programs or how many Californian lives they saved.
Perhaps the most shocking cut affected California domestic violence shelters, which were stripped of its federal funding by these cuts. While the shelters were preparing for the 20% funding cut proposed by the legislature, they were shocked to find out that the governor had cut 100% of its funding, driving shelters to either be forced to close or seek new sources of funding. These clinics keep women and children safe and alive, and as the Executive Director of Catalyst Domestic Services in Butte County, California, Anastacia Snyder has said “If the governor’s budget cuts are allowed to stand, victims will not have a place to turn for help and lives will inevitably be lost.”
Leaving domestic violence shelters with no funding whatsoever is frankly, a death sentence for many women and their children who desperately need the services that these shelters provide. The decision to cut all funding for these life-saving shelters is morally corrupt and downright wrong. It speaks volumes of how Governor Schwarzenegger views women and his lack of commitment to making decisions that should best serve the people of California. This budget cut is also coming at a time where communities in California are seeing a rise in reported cases of domestic violence. Fresno, California alone has seen a 30% rise in cases of domestic violence over the past four months. So while the need of these shelters is rising and will inevitably continue to rise, these shelters will not have the means to help the people who need them.
In addition to domestic violence shelters losing all of their funding, Governor Schwarzenegger is also robbing people in need of several other health and human services programs, including AIDS prevention programs which saw a $52 million cut, $25 million was cut from clinics, and $50 million was cut from Healthy Families, a health initiative that offers health insurance to children in low-income families.
Amnesty’s Newest Domestic Violence Awareness Billboard is First to Respond to People Looking at It
Click here for larger image
Amnesty International’s newest billboard to raise awareness about the issue of domestic violence is the first billboard in the world to to react when people look at it, by an eye tracking camera that registers when someone looks directly at the poster.
The billboard was created to let people directly experience how domestic violence is hidden from view of the public. It is meant to motivate people to look more closely in the future and help prevent domestic violence. At first, the billboard shows a depiction of what domestic violence looks like; when people look directly at the billboard, the image changed into the same people in the first image pretending to be a normal, happy couple after a slight time delay. The results of the billboard made observers part of the situation, even compelling people to interact with it for several minutes. As you can probably assume, the billboard left a very strong impression on every person who came in contact with it.
I love this new billboard from Amnesty International. It is great to see this kind of technology being used to raise awareness about such an important issuer that more people need to open their eyes and not only see, but know that they can also help prevent it from happening.
Justice for Angie Zapata
Angie Zapata was brutally murdered in July 2008 in Greeley, Colorado. She was murdered because she was a transgender woman. Her murder was a hate crime.
Allen Ray Andrade, the man who murdered Angie Zapata was convicted of first degree murder and bias-motivated crime (more famously known as a ‘hate crime.’) He was also convicted of vehicle and identity theft. It took the jury of this case only two hours to come to a guilty verdict. Allen Ray Andrade will spend the rest of his life in prison, without the possibility of parole.
Of course, this is not necessarily “justice” for Angie Zapata and her family because Angie is dead and just because her murderer was convicted and will spend the rest of his life in jail, Angie will not miraculously come back to life. However, returning a guilty verdict in this case, the jury has spoken volumes and have given not only the people of Colorado, but across this country a nice dose of reality and have said that no hate crime will go unpunished. That no innocent people should die by simply being who they are.
Angie’s family released a statement after the verdict was read. Angie’s brother gave a truly amazing and emotional speech. It is definitely a touching speech, you can see just how loved Angie Zapata was and the damage that Andrade has done to this family and to every person who loved and cared for Angie is not erased by a sentence of life in prison.
For the transcript of this speech, head over to Feministe.
Rihanna Is Erased By Do Something.ORG When They Confront Domestic Violence
Earlier this morning I was sent a link about a campaign run by DoSomething.org. In an effort to raise awareness about violence against women they have created a re-enactment of the beating that Rihanna allegedly received from Chris Brown.
Extreme Trigger Warning on the video.
At the end we are told that 1 in 3 teens are abused in a relationship and viewers are encouraged to go to DoSomething.org/Abuse to get three free bracelets, one blue and two black to raise awareness. Violence against women is just the latest cause to get the “Bono of activist treatment” (read: the bracelet, or the ribbon certification).
These bracelets have become the symbol of our so-called concern for diversity and tolerance, and yet they function just like any other fashion appendage. Does anyone really know what each one of the multi colour bracelets and ribbons even means anymore? We have this social idea that putting on a symbol of an issue somehow means we have performed some sort of activism. The bracelet, or ribbon allows us to profess a stated belief without making any concrete efforts for change. It functions more as a badge of inertia than anything else.
I fail to see how we can possibly praise this video as womanists/feminists and yet Courtney of Feministing has completely endorsed this video.
While I could understand why some people would be outraged by this bold PSA tactic, I’m completely in support of what Do Something is doing. They’re making the incident–which has been so obscured by the media hype, ignorant commentary from pundits and the public alike, and so much disrespect–real again. A woman, a man, out of control emotions, and inexcusable violence. If Rhianna weren’t already horribly outed by this whole incident, I might feel like it were an invasion of her privacy, but at this point, it’s just so public. It seems like the most respectful thing we can do for Rhianna is make sure that this whole thing inspires young people to get educated about relationship violence–as the ad does.
So, because she has already been violated once, what’s one more time? We can comfort ourselves with the belief that no matter how triggering it may be for her to be held up as the “role model” for battered women, it’s for a good cause. Let’s remove the last bit of agency and self respect that she has by co-opting her experience without permission because ultimately we secretly identify with her abuser anyway; how else could we justify displaying a total lack of solidarity with the victim ?
This is about realism right; so showing simulated violence which in no way reflects the real terror she must have felt as Brown spilled her blood all over his car is showing the horrors of domestic violence? Hearing the monotone drone of the narrator as he describes what have must have been the most terrifying moments in her life, instead of her screams of pain and fear is meant to place her in the center of this incident?
In the final act of co-option the woman chosen to play her isn’t even black. So in a bid once again for realism, it is somehow appropriate to replace a black woman with a white woman? What does this tell us about which bodies are valued in this society? Are we to feel more sympathetic to this pseudo-victim because she is white? Are we meant to have an easier time identifying with her because of whiteness? In a world in which the black woman is daily devalued, replacing her physical body without commentary and assuming that whiteness can represent her is truly a racist act. Just as in Richard Wrights, The Outsider, though both white women and black women are victims of violence, it is the harm done to the white female victim that is understood as the truly criminal act. This is not because we value white women universally, but because we over value whiteness to the extent that any crime committed against it is considered a true social violation.
This video is not the least bit groundbreaking and in fact plays on racism and false images of violence to promote hipster activism. We live in a society that believes that problems can be solved through capitol rather than engagement. We wear our so-called causes around like latest fashion accessory happily moving from issue to issue, as each social problem comes in and out of vogue. Though this model has failed to produce any tangible results, we continue to embrace it because we like our activism like McDonalds; fast, cheap and full of unidentifiable ingredients.
Cross Posted from Womanist Musings
Where Have All the Morals Gone?
I have not brought up the topic of the Rihanna/Chris Brown controversy, and for good reason. Just like media publications are supposed to keep the identities of domestic violence victims secret, I also believe it is important not to trivialize domestic violence and abuse, which is exactly what popular publications have done by not only identifying Rihanna as the woman who Chris Brown brutally attacked, but publishing pieces without the moral code of telling their readers that there is no excuse for what Chris Brown did.
Domestic violence cases are often looked at from several different views and most of them include shaming the victim. Victim shaming has sadly become a normality in society and by not educating people, especially teens, of the statistics and true dangers of domestic violence, victim shaming will continue. It is never okay for a man to raise his hand or beat his girlfriend. When the topic of domestic violence comes up, many people jump at the chance to say something to the effect that women are also abusers and as a woman whose childhood could make up several books about how this is completely true, when it comes to beating your significant other, take a look at who the obvious physical threat is. Males are more of a physical threat to females, no matter what kind of spin you put on the topic. But these and many other truths about domestic violence are often cast aside in order for people to play the blame game and that is exactly what happened in the Rihanna/Chris Brown case.
There is a pandemic going on when it comes to violence and teens are not being given the education and support they should be receiving, as proven by what several teen girls have had to say about the pop stars:
“I thought she was lying, or that the tabloids were making it up,” one girl said.
Even after they saw a photo of Rihanna’s bloodied, bruised face, which had raced across the Internet, they still defended Mr. Brown. “She probably made him mad for him to react like that,” the other ninth grader said. “You know, like, bring it on?”
Should he be punished? No, said the girls, whose names were withheld at the request of the school. After all, they said, Rihanna seemed to have reconciled with Mr. Brown.
“So he shouldn’t get into trouble if she doesn’t feel that way,” one girl said. “She probably feels bad that it was her fault, so she took him back.”
Her friend nodded. “I don’t think he’ll hit her like that again,” she said.
On a Facebook discussion, one girl wrote, “she probly ran into a door and was too embarrassed so blamed it on chris.”
All of the phrases I emphasized are exactly what society has been saying again and again when they are shaming the victims of abuse. These teens are not making these statements up, they were taught to react and question cases of abuse like this. They were taught that patriarchy is A-OK and as females, we all must remain in line because if we get abused, we had it coming or “must have done something to make him angry”.
This point is driven home even further by the fact that the Boston Public Health Commission recently interviewed 200 teens and found that 46% said Rihanna was responsible for what happened and 52% said both bore responsibility, despite knowing that Rihanna’s injuries required hospital treatment.
In order to truly educate children and teens about domestic violence and even that domestic violence exists and is a problem in our culture, completely disregarded by society due to obscene amounts of victim shaming, we must set better examples for them and how to react when a controversy like this strikes them in their celebrity-driven world. It is never okay for a man to lay a hand on a woman in a violent matter and shaming Rihanna while apologizing for Chris Brown is not helping any situation, anywhere.
RAINN’s Technology Access Project: Offering Free Website & Email Services to Affiliates
Most of us have relied on the internet for valid, educational information. A lot of us have relied on the friends and support systems we have cultivated online to help sort out our feelings, opinions, and problems in our day to day lives. We undoubtedly live in a society where a great amount of people have become reliant on technology but there are still needs to be met when it comes to the information and support many of us need via the internet world, especially those of us who have survived or are still surviving abuse and trauma. RAINN is the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization that has aided so many survivors in need of support and advocates of survivors in need of information. RAINN has not only helped people through their 1-800 hotline, but because they understand the reliance we have on technology and the fact that more survivors are willing to open up via the internet, where they can remain completely anonymous, they opened up a 24/7 online hotline.
In an effort to bring more technology-based support to survivors, they are ensuring that all of their affiliates across the country have the ability to have a web presence of their own for the survivors in need in their areas. Because the vast amount of companies, organizations, and people who use the internet do not have the knowledge necessary to create a clean, functional, and user-friendly web presence of their own, RAINN has started the Technology Access Project that will offer all of RAINN’s participating affiliates a free website and free email services to help aid and support their base of survivors, as well as to educate those in their areas about abuse and trauma, and also how to heal, starting in Spring of 2009. The Technology Access Project is made possible by Grant no. 2008-TA-AX-K012, awarded to RAINN by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice.
This is a monumental step forward for survivors in need of RAINN and their affiliate’s support and services. Because they are offering websites and email services for free, they are ensuring that every single participating affiliate of theirs has the ability to create a web presence without any financial burden or even technical experience. RAINN’s technical staff will be available for any affiliate who is lacking in technical experience to walk them through the brief setup process and they will also be available to answer technical questions for as long as they are using the service. Best of all, your domain name will not be owned by RAINN; ownership will be retained by the affiliate even if they decide to stop using RAINN’s service.
I am thrilled that RAINN has decided to do this and that the Office on Violence Against Women saw a need for technological support and filled it, making RAINN’s Technology Access Project possible.
He Will Hit You Again
One day after Chris Brown appeared in front of a judge because of beating up his girlfriend Rihanna, Oprah sent out a very clear message to Rihanna on her live show–”If a man hits you once, he will hit you again.”
Statistically, 1 in 4 women and also 1 in 4 girls will be a victim of domestic violence and it is because of that horrifying statistic that Oprah will be dedicating an episode of her show to the topic of domestic violence.
The Army of Angels Conference: Moving from Survivor to Warrior
It is very different to have survived abuse and trauma and to truly be a survivor. However, being a survivor, as it turns out, is simply is the tip of the iceberg. Angela Shelton, the woman who made the award-winning documentary Searching for Angela Shelton and wrote the book Finding Angela Shelton has become an expert in trauma and recovery and it’s really no surprise how she did it; she survived her own abuse and as she got older (and wiser) she dealt with her past and looked onward to her future. She has become an icon for many survivors out there in need of becoming the warrior they can be in their lives. Speaking of becoming a warrior, Angela has an exciting event coming up soon–Very soon, in fact.
The The Angela Shelton Foundation and PAVE are holding the first annual Army of Angels Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 13 and 14.
The Army of Angels is a group of people who have been inspired and helped by Angela Shelton’s work and have transformed their lives. They are now working to inspire healing, awareness, and joy in their own lives as well as the lives of others. There will be many speakers at the conference, including Angela Shelton herself who will also be doing her ‘Removing the Sword of Trauma’ powerpoint presentation.
If you are interested in attending the Army of Angels inaugural conference, check out the event on Eventbrite and contact diann@angelashelton.com for more information.
RAINN’s Online Hotline is Now 24/7
RAINN has been running the internet’s first live, secure hotline service for victims and survivors of rape, abuse and incest for a few months for 5 hours a day, 5 days a week. During those months, RAINN has helped more than 22,000 people with the help of over 450 volunteers nationwide.
Because more and more people are seeking help on the internet, RAINN’s online hotline has been crucial to survivors and due to the demand of their service, RAINN has extended their operation hours and are now up and running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
As a survivor I have found that while finding help when you need it online is scarce, but when you do find it, there is an overwhelming release that comes with it. For me and I would think some other survivors out there, words come easier for me when I am typing; words tend to fail me if I’m on the phone and especially when I’m face to face with a therapist or counselor, so for RAINN to have a reliable and secure live, online service with trained professionals on the other end of the website is amazing.
If you are a survivor, get immediate support in a safe and secure online environment at the RAINN online hotline now open 24/7!
“Men’s Rights Advocate” Glenn Sacks Protests Domestic Violence Awareness in Dallas
Via Womanist Musings and Alas, a blog, a “men’s rights advocate,” Glenn Sacks, has been protesting (and receiving a great deal of press, thus confirming again and again what an asshole he really is) two of the three ads recently created by The Family Place and appearing on 45 bus sides and 300 bus interiors throughout the Dallas, Texas area. Even though these ads were approved by DART (the Dallas transit system) Sacks and his fellow penis-praising minions say that the ads are offensive to men and fathers.
The Family Place is the largest family violence service provider in the Dallas area and looking at the cold, hard numbers of (reported) domestic abuse cases, yeah, I’d say that we need to have some ads targeting women and letting them know that there is help out there. But hey, that’s just a fellow human being with a vagina talking, so Glenn Sacks would hate me and my damn, fact-based opinions.
“I think they should take the ads down,” Sacks said. “Domestic violence is still a problem that affects women more than men, but it affects them both. I can guarantee you if the genders were reversed, there is no way DART would have accepted those ads.”
How does he know? I mean, sure, you can make your little ‘my sex is so underprivileged, we’ve just been running the world for the past eight billion years’ assumptions, but did Sacks ask The Family Place to add an additional ad that would reach out to male victims of abuse? Nope, he surely did not, he just wants the ads reaching out to female victims taken down because, you know, as a men’s rights advocate, he knows that men are always shown in a negative light and there is absolutely no reason for it at all. Nope, none whatsoever. Riiight.
Women know that domestic violence exists; hell, a great deal of women are survivors of domestic violence and a great deal of other women are dead due to domestic violence. Given these facts, however, women also know that not all men are abusers; we’re smart like that and seeing an ad is not going to make us think that every single man we know and see in passing goes home to beat his wife. Seeing ads like this do, however, remind us that if we are currently in an abusive situation or know someone who is in an abusive situation, there is help out there and above all, victims of domestic violence are not alone.
Not only has Sacks been very vocal, receiving enormous attention by the press about his feelings on these ads, but he is also dodging his responsibility for basically coming out and screaming from the rooftops ‘I am an asshole who does not believe that women who are affected by domestic violence should be reminded that there is help out there.’ Sacks and his 50 hand-selected protesters attacked The Family Place’s funding.
“A sub-group of our protesters who I selected called over 50 of The Family Place’s financial contributors to express our concerns about the ads. [...] Several of The Family Place’s financial contributors withdrew or reduced the financial gifts they planned for the end-of-the-year giving season. I don’t say this with pleasure–I would have preferred that The Family Place do the right thing from the beginning rather than lose the funding.”
So not only is he trying to paint The Family Place in a grossly negative light as a family violence service provider, but he is basically aiming to shut them and the innumerable people they have helped throughout the years they have been in operation down. Good going, Glenn! Seriously, I can think of a better way to counteract the message that ‘there is help when and if you need it’ then saying ‘we men are outraged and if we’re mad, no one gets help at all!’ Luckily, however, Sacks did not succeed in ruining The Family Place financially and their financial contributors knew that The Family Place is just that–A family place; a place that offers services and support to those who need it.
Since this ordeal, The Family Place has put all three of their ads up on a page of their website with the following statement:
We are not a male-bashing organization. Our services support all victims—male and female, children and adults. This year, we have provided court-ordered batterer’s treatment to 449 male, 106 female and 98 adolescent offenders. We have helped 308 men and 326 women recover from childhood sexual assault and incest in our Incest Recovery Program. To date we have counseled 9 male and 1,335 female victims in our outreach programs.
We wanted the campaign to start a conversation, and it has.The visibility of the DART campaign and the community response to it resulted in a front-page story in The Dallas Morning News featuring our hotline number. This sparked a sharp increase in hotline calls for help. The campaign also provides an opportunity for parents to talk about family violence with their children and emphasize the importance of healthy relationships and respect for others.
Ultimately the campaign is making a difference by getting the word out about our services to victims who need our help.
If you would like to donate to The Family Place, please click here.
Get Social
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Out Campaign
The OUT Campaign allows individuals to let others know they are not alone. It can also be a nice way of opening a conversation and help to demolish the negative stereotypes of atheists. Let the world know that we are not about to go away and that we are not going to allow those that would condemn us to push us into the shadows.
