NTF Letter to Congress RE: President's Executive Order on Family Separation Fails Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors

Dear Senators and Representatives,  

As the Steering Committee of the National Taskforce to end Sexual and Domestic Violence (“NTF”), a national leadership coalition advocating on behalf of the rights of sexual and domestic violence survivors, we represent thousands of organizations across the country dedicated to ensuring that all survivors of violence  are able to access the safety and justice they deserve. We write to denounce the White House’s Executive Order issued in response to the outcry from our communities and from Members of Congress regarding the ‘zero-tolerance’ policy of separating families. The inhumane response of continuing to detain children, by placing them alongside their parents in detention, will continue to traumatize children and harm survivors of sexual and domestic violence. The NTF, along with our partners, has long expressed our disagreement with the cruel practice of detaining immigrant families and we continue to denounce these policies due to the negative impact on victims of domestic and sexual violence and their children.

Not only is family detention for prolonged periods of time cruel, it is also costly and senseless, particularly when humane and cost-effective alternatives to detention have been demonstrated to be effective. The NTF calls for the end of family detention to prevent further harming and re-traumatizing survivors of violence; to provide families in detention meaningful access to legal services, counseling, and mental health services; and to develop a plan to reunify parents and children who have already been separated, especially in situations where a parent has been ordered removed.

Detention is re-traumatizing to survivors of violence.

Women and children are fleeing rampant violence, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking, in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras and are seeking safety in the United States. Criminalizing the actions of those pursuing asylum is contrary to international human rights laws and contrary to the basic principles of this country. This Executive Order will likely have the effect of jailing, for months or even years, immigrant survivors and their children seeking safety in the U.S.  Given the intense restrictions and disciplinary rules within detention facilities, mothers retain limited autonomy, weakening authority which weakens their ability to effectively parent their own children. For young mothers who have faced domestic and/or gang violence and sexual abuse, a detention setting often exacerbates the trauma they and their children have already experienced due to their victimization.

Detained families need adequate access to legal services, counseling, and mental health services.

Family detention facilities are frequently in remote locations, far from communities that have the capacity to provide services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Legal, counseling, and mental health services are critical for women and children recovering from trauma suffered in their home countries and on their journey to the United States. In addition, in light of the complexities of the immigration process, it will be critical for detained families to obtain legal counsel and representation to navigate the byzantine immigration process. Moreover, it is often difficult in remote communities to ensure detained families have access to services in their own languages.

The Executive Order Fails to Address Currently Impacted Families        

In the past month, more than 2,000 children were separated from their parents, and many more were separated in the previous month. This Executive Order does nothing to provide direction on reunifying traumatized children with their parents, including parents who have already been removed from the United States.  Trading family separation for family detention is not an appropriate solution. Detention in itself is re-traumatizing and hinders the willingness and ability of survivors to share the experiences that may demonstrate their eligibility for vital legal protections. Courts, child development experts, medical professionals, and many others have clearly found that family detention traumatizes and harms children.

For this reason we ask Congress to terminate funding used to implement the Administration’s  “Zero Tolerance” policy and limit funding for the use of family detention centers, and instead allocate funding for non-intrusive alternatives to detention. Additionally, we call on Congress to preserve and defend provisions in our asylum laws that enable immigrant victims of domestic violence and sexual assault to seek life-saving refuge and protection when their countries’ officials fail to protect them from targeted violence.

We thank you for taking these important steps to help survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and their children who are fleeing persecution in their home countries attempting to find safe haven in the United States of America. 

For more information, please contact Grace Huang, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence at ghuang@api-gbv.org, Rosie Hidalgo, Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ Network, rhidalgo@casadeesperanza.org,Kiersten Stewart, Futures Without Violence, kstewart@futureswithoutviolence.org, or  Archi Pyati, Tahirih Justice Center, at ArchiP@tahirih.org.

Sincerely,

The National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence

Action Alert: Call Your Member of Congress TODAY to Stop Family Separation and Protect Immigrant Survivors

Call Your Member of Congress TODAY to Stop Family Separation and Protect Immigrant Survivors – Vote could be in the House TOMORROW!!!

1.  Find your Congressional Representative here and Tell Them to Oppose the two pending “moderate” (sic) Immigration Bills that Harm Survivors of Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on two harmful immigration bills on Thursday, Please urge your Representatives to VOTE NO on: 

    Speaker Ryan’s Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2018 (HR 6136) ;

    Representative Goodlatte's "Securing America's Future Act of 2018" (H.R. 4760)

Both of these bills attempt to address the Administration’s termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) for several hundred thousand young people, but unnecessarily restrict access to the program, make drastic reductions to legal immigration, and eliminate protections for vulnerable children, many of whom are fleeing sexual and domestic violence or human trafficking, created by the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). Also, neither of these bills will stop the Administration's inhumane and shameful family separation policy. 

Call your Representative today!

-Find your Representative to Congress here, using your zip code. 

WHAT TO SAY 

My name is _______and I’m calling from [City and State]  I’m calling today to tell [Representative________ ] to vote NO on both the Goodlatte bill (HR 4760)  and the Paul Ryan Border Security And Immigration Reform Act (HR 6136). These bills will harm domestic violence and sexual assault survivors, fail to adequately protect Dreamers, limit protections existing for abused and neglected children, and fail to address the family separation crisis at the border. 

Background Information:

The American Immigration Lawyers’ Association has a brief summary of both bills available here.

Specific Impacts of HR 4760 on immigrant survivors:

• Eliminates the ability of abused parents of U.S. citizens to apply for VAWA self-petition protections
• Places limits on individuals on temporary worker (H) visas from filing civil actions for damages against their employers, potentially limiting the ability of those sexually assaulted or harassed at work from accessing justice
• Establishes a benefit fraud assessment on various immigration programs including VAWA self-petitions, fiancée visas, Special Immigrant Juvenile Visas, U-Crime victim visas, and asylum, among other immigration programs
• Bars abused family members, including abused ex-spouses, of drug traffickers from obtaining legal status.
• Undermines policies that local welcoming jurisdictions have determined are Constitutionally sound and are appropriate for their respective communities, and they decrease the ability of local law enforcement agencies to respond to violent crimes and assist all victims of crime, U.S. Citizens and immigrants alike.
• Attempts to coerce local law enforcement agencies into sharing information with ICE by placing restrictions on federal law enforcement funding in grant conditions.
• Expands criminal penalties for those who are present without authorization. 
• Expands immigration penalties for individuals with domestic violence convictions, as well as the types of evidence immigration courts can consider in deporting individuals with domestic violence convictions.
• Reduces access to Special Immigrant Juvenile status for abused and neglected children.

Specific Impacts of HR 6136 on immigrant survivors:

• Excludes more potential DREAMERS from accessing a new “contingent visa” by excluding more individuals with certain domestic violence and child abuse convictions. The bill cross-references the broad Violence Against Women Act definitions of domestic violence and child abuse to exclude more potential DACA beneficiaries with such convictions. This cross-reference will create difficulties in expanding access to services for victims in other, future VAWA legislation by tying the definitions in VAWA to immigration consequences.
• Expands definitions relating to domestic violence as a basis for deporting individuals and fails to provide exceptions or waivers for survivors who may have used violence against their abusers.
• Undermines the work of local communities who’ve implemented welcoming policies that reduce law enforcement collaboration with ICE, policies that encourage immigrant victims to come forward, seek help, and cooperate with police.
• Undermines important protections for minors who are fleeing sexual assault, domestic violence, and abuse who arrive from Northern Triangle countries, making it easier to deport them back to their countries from which they are fleeing violence.
• Makes it harder for asylum seekers to flee persecution by increasing the standard of proof need to apply, likely halving the number of asylum seekers. By changing the law to facilitate the quick deportations of asylum seekers and make it harder to apply for asylum, victims fleeing sexual and domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence, who could articulate a genuine fear of persecution will be deported anyway without the chance to collect evidence or present witnesses before a judge.

For more information contact ghuang@api-gbv.org

Statement of the National Taskforce to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Denouncing the Attorney General’s Decision in Matter of A-B

The Steering Committee of the National Taskforce to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (NTF), comprised of national leadership organizations advocating on behalf of sexual and domestic violence victims and women’s rights, represents hundreds of programs, service providers and community organizations across the country dedicated to making sure that all survivors of violence receive the protections and services they need and deserve.  We are alarmed by the significant adverse impact of the June 11, 2018 Attorney General’s deeply disappointing decision in Matter of A-B-. 

The A.G.’s decision strikes at the heart of longstanding protections for domestic violence survivors and others who look to the United States for protection and refuge, taking us back to an era when domestic violence was considered a “private” matter; not meriting government intervention. This decision undermines decades of progress toward human rights policies that recognize the unique vulnerabilities of women and children who have experienced the trauma of violence and need secure immigration status to access safety.  By declaring that the lack of state intervention in domestic violence in other countries cannot be the sole basis for asylum in the U.S., the Attorney General is instituting a policy that will block thousands of people from obtaining refuge in the United States, condemning thousands of domestic violence victims to deportation to dangerous situations where they could very well lose their lives.

Already, this Administration’s policies have served to send the message to immigrant survivors of domestic violence that they are undeserving of safety and justice, making them more vulnerable to threats from abusers and more fearful that they will be separated from their children and communities. In this climate, the NTF calls on our nation’s policymakers to work together to uphold their commitment to all survivors – including through the protections of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) – and to forge a bipartisan, humane national immigration policy. 

Congress should reject the Attorney General’s decision in Matter of A-B-., and work in a bipartisan manner to exercise greater oversight of the Administration’s immigration policies that harm domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. As part of these efforts, Congress must preserve and defend provisions in our asylum laws that enable immigrant victims of domestic violence and sexual assault to seek life-saving refuge and protection when their countries’ officials fail to protect them from targeted violence. In addition, Congress must continue to work in a bipartisan manner to seek a more just and humane immigration system that protects survivors and strengthens families, communities, and the nation.

For more information, please contact Archi Pyati, Tahirih Justice Center, at archip@tahirih.org, Grace Huang, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence at ghuang@api-gbv.org, or Rosie Hidalgo, National Latin@ Network: Casa de Esperanza, at rhidalgo@casadeesperanza.org.

TAKE ACTION! 

1. Find your Member of Congress here and ask them to protect and defend domestic violence victims and reject the Attorney General’s decision in Matter of A-B-.
2. Sign Tahirih Justice Center’s online petition demanding that Jeff Sessions reverse his decision in Matter of A-B-.
3. Use this statement as a template and draft op-eds for your local newspaper highlighting your support for critical protections for survivors of domestic violence seeking asylum in the United States.
4. Post your statement on social media. Use these sample posts with the hashtags #ProtectSurvivors #ImmigrantWomenToo.

Sample Facebook post

·         Attorney General Jeff Sessions just issued an alarming decision that undermines hard-won protections for women and girls fleeing domestic violence. Learn more and use your voice to stand up for immigrant survivors of domestic violence. #ProtectSurvivors #ImmigrantWomenToo [INSERT LINK TO OP-ED OR PRESS STATEMENT]

Sample Tweets

·         Attorney General Sessions is attempting to close the door to women and girls fleeing persecution. Domestic violence survivors deserve access to safety & justice.  #ProtectSurvivors! #ImmigrantWomenToo

·         Women fleeing life-threatening persecution have a legal right to apply for asylum in the U.S. We must not let AG Sessions turn back the clock on protections #domesticviolence survivors! #ProtectSurvivors #ImmigrantWomenTo

Action Alert: Ask Congress to Co-Sponsor Lifesaving Legislation

The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), first passed by Congress in 1984, is the primary federal funding stream dedicated to the support of emergency shelter and supportive services for victims of domestic violence and their children. Unfortunately, FVPSA has not been reauthorized since 2010, but Senators Heller (R-NV), Casey (D-PA), Grassley (R-IA), Coons (D-DE), and Cornyn (R-TX) have introduced S.2784, in the Senate, and Representatives Thompson (R-PA), Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Stefanik (R-NY), and Moore (D-WI) have introduced H.R. 6014, in the House, the FVPSA Reauthorization Act. This critical straightforward reauthorization will help ensure that shelters and domestic violence programs can continue to keep survivors safe and provide essential services. Please ask your Senators and Representatives to co-sponsor this lifesaving legislation today!

Below are steps for finding your Members, talking points for encouraging them to co-sponsor FVPSA and urge swift passage of the bill, and background information.

Thank you so much for your work on behalf of survivors!

Please Call your Members as soon as possible!

·         Find your House member: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

·         Find your Senator: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

·         You can also call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 225-3121 and ask to be transferred to the appropriate offices.

·         Please ask to speak with a staff person who deals with domestic violence. If they are unavailable, leave a voicemail.

Tell them:

·         Domestic violence directly impacts one in four women and one in ten men over their lifetimes and approximately 15.5 million children every year. Violence and abuse is pervasive, costly, and can be deadly.

·         The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) is at the heart of our nation’s response to domestic violence.

·         FVPSA was first passed into law in 1984 and was most recently reauthorized in 2010. It is currently expired and needs to be re-authorized.

·         FVPSA supports life-saving services including emergency shelters, crisis hotlines, counseling, and programs for communities throughout the United States, including U.S. territories.

·         SENATE: Please cosponsor S.2784, the bipartisan FVPSA Reauthorization Act introduced by Senators Heller (R-NV), Casey (D-PA), Grassley (R-IA), Coons (D-DE), and Cornyn (R-TX), and urge its swift passage.

·         HOUSE: Please cosponsor H.R. 6014, the bipartisan FVPSA Reauthorization Act introduced by Representatives Thompson (R-PA), Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Stefanik (R-NY), and Moore (D-WI), and urge its swift passage.

Background:

·         In addition to supporting local shelters and services, FVPSA provides funds to state domestic violence coalitions, tribes, national technical assistance and training programs, and a program dedicated to addressing the needs of children of domestic violence victims.

·         There are approximately 2,000 community-based domestic violence programs for victims and their children in the U.S.  They provide emergency shelter to approximately 1.3 million victims and offer services such as counseling, crisis lines, safety planning, legal assistance, and preventative education to millions of adults and children annually.

·         A multi-state study published in 2009 shows conclusively that the nation’s domestic violence shelters successfully address both urgent and long-term needs of victims of violence and help victims protect themselves and their children from further abuse.

Please contact Marium Durrani (mdurrani@nnedv.org) if you have any questions.

Statement on Prosecution of Parents with Children

Dear Secretary Nielsen,

The Steering Committee of the National Taskforce to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (NTF)
comprises national leadership organizations advocating on behalf of sexual and domestic
violence victims and women’s rights. We represent hundreds of programs, service providers and community organizations across the country dedicated to making sure that all survivors of
violence receive the protections and services they need and deserve. With the announcement that the Department of Homeland Security is considering expanding the detention and criminal prosecution of parents seeking to cross the border with their children we urge you consider the impact these policies will have on immigrant victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and trafficking, as well as the long-term trauma that will be caused by separating these parents from their children.

Children separated from their parents often have more social and emotional problems and are
more likely to suffer poor health and less educational success due to the impacts of trauma on
their development. Attachment to a parent or caregiver in early childhood is one of the most
important milestones in the life trajectory. The bond between parent and child is essential in
building resilience in a child, even one growing up in difficult circumstances. Undermining this
protective factor in children by detaining and prosecuting their parents who are trying to protect them from harm will only serve to harm these children’s health and stability, both in the short term and the long term, with implications for not only them but their communities at large.

The countries from which these families and children escaped remain extremely dangerous.
Detention and removal will result in more domestic violence, sexual abuse, or even death. In
recent years, women and children fleeing rampant violence in El Salvador, Guatemala and
Honduras, have fled to the United States, seeking refuge. According to a recent United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) study, on Northern Triangle women seeking asylum
in the United States, prolonged instances of physical, sexual and psychological abuse in the
home are common reasons for flight. In recent years, the Northern Triangle countries of El
Salvador and Honduras have alternated in ranking as the murder capital of the world, and El
Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras are in the top five globally for rates of female homicides. 1
Domestic violence is reportedly the leading form of abuse against women and girls in El
Salvador and Honduras. 2  

In Guatemala, every 46 minutes a new case of sexual violence is reported, but the number
of incidents is likely much higher as many go unrecorded. 3 The Northern Triangle
countries have areas that are highly controlled by gangs, and women are often coerced
into joining. A woman’s duty to gang members is to “provide” sex for the members, and
initiation rituals for women frequently consist of being sexually assaulted on a regular
basis.

In many cases, the risk of domestic violence, sexual assault, and/ or trafficking in their
countries of origin remain unabated and victims subsequently attempt to enter the U.S. to
protect themselves and their children. Frequently, because of inadequate access to legal
representation, victims are unable to establish their eligibility for legal protections in the
United States, resulting in their removal. The Administration’s efforts to detain and
prosecute parents for seeking refuge with their children is unnecessarily cruel and will
serve to retraumatize and harm victims as well as their children whose crime is merely
that of seeking lives free of violence.

We Urge You to Cease the Prosecution of Parents

Survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and trafficking and their children should
not be further endangered based on their inability to access justice or in hopes of
deterring others from escaping life-threatening circumstances in search of safety and
hope. For more information, please contact Grace Huang, Asian Pacific Institute on
Gender Based Violence at ghuang@api-gbv.org and Kiersten Stewart, Futures Without
Violence, at kstewart@futureswithoutviolence.org or Archi Pyati, Tahirih Justice Center,
at ArchiP@tahirih.org. Thank you.
  
Sincerely,
The National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence

1 Geneva Declaration, Global Burdens of Armed Violence (Geneva: Geneva Declaration, 2015).
2 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, “Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection
Needs of Asylum-Seekers from El Salvador” (March 2016) and UNHCR, “Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the
International Protection Needs of Asylum Seekers from Honduras” (July 2016).
3 Claudia Palma, “Cada 46 minutos se comete una violación” Prensa Libre, May 16, 2016,
http://www.prensalibre.com/guatemala/ justicia/cada-46- minutos-se- comete-una-violacion

Anti-Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Organizations in Support of Full and Equal Access for the Transgender Community

When the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson was questioned about the removal of training materials used to ensure access to housing services for transgender people, Carson invoked a too often used myth – that allowing transgender women access to shelters would “impede the rights of one for the sake of the other”- while also using words like “uncomfortable,” “anatomy,” and “complex.”  For those in the domestic and sexual violence field, the phrasing was clear code for justifying discrimination and even violence against transgender women by utilizing the myth that allowing transgender people to access shelters consistent with their gender identity places other residents in danger. This same language is currently being used in states around the country, such as upcoming ballot initiatives in Montana and Massachusetts, to push discriminatory legislation that would place transgender communities at higher risk of experiencing violence.

Hearing this myth from the Secretary of HUD was a reminder that, now more than ever, domestic and sexual violence survivors and service providers must stand with the transgender community to oppose this dangerous and false narrative and voice our support for non-discrimination protections, including the HUD Equal Access Rule, that are inclusive of transgender survivors and all survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

In 2016, the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence released a consensus statement, signed by over 300 domestic violence and sexual violence organizations across the country, opposing anti-transgender initiatives and the dangerous myths used to support them. These organizations included rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters, and service providers and others who work with countless survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence every day. These organizations value principles of safety, healing, and privacy, and they know that non-discrimination protections for transgender people do not impede these principles, but strengthen them. These organizations support transgender people’s access to gender- specific facilities as necessary for public safety.

We, representatives of the undersigned organizations, are renewing that commitment today and ask that domestic and sexual violence organizations that have yet to join this effort sign onto this statement now.

The fact is that the domestic and sexual violence field has been at the forefront of championing non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ survivors, whether the historic non-discrimination protections in the Violence Against Women Act or the Equal Access Rule promulgated by the HUD that includes explicit protections for transgender and gender non-conforming people. We serve everyone in domestic and sexual violence shelters and programs, including men, women, and non-binary survivors, as all individuals need a safe place to go when experiencing interpersonal violence. The reasoning is simple. Transgender people experience unconscionably high rates of sexual assault and domestic violence—and forcing them out of facilities consistent with the gender they live every day makes them further vulnerable to assault. As advocates committed to ending sexual assault and domestic violence of every kind, we will never support any discriminatory housing law or policy and will stand against any statements that could put anyone at greater risk for assault or harassment.

Ways to Take Action!

·         Sign onto the Consensus Statement: https://goo.gl/forms/KtiRtfm1aVQDIYV72

• Circulate the Consensus Statement to your networks and on social media. https://bit.ly/2qDJV6D
• Learn more about the anti-trans statewide bills, where they are, and how to support on the ground efforts.
• Write an op-ed or blog on why your organization opposes legislation that is discriminatory towards transgender survivors.
• Dispel myths that use transphobia to promote discrimination. Use social media to promote facts on sexual violence in LGBTQ communities and the importance of non-discrimination provisions for all survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
• Don’t know where to start or how to respond? Contact LGBTQ technical assistance resources for sexual and domestic violence programs for tips:
  National LGBTQ Institute on IPV:  http://lgbtqipv.org/;
  National Center of Anti-Violence Programs’ (NCAVP) National Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Center. https://avp.org/ncavp/tta-center/;
  FORGE: http://forge-forward.org/anti-violence/;
• Share Know Your Rights information for transgender survivors: (https://transequality.org/know-your-rights/survivors-violence);
• Share NCAVP’s Policy to Practice nondiscrimination guide. This guide helps domestic violence, sexual violence, dating violence and stalking organizations understand the VAWA non-discrimination provisions: http://avp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/From_Policy_to_Practice.pdf;
• Share this resource on how shelters can comply with the Equal Access Rule: http://www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/resources/Equal-Access-for-Transgender-People-Supporting-Inclusive-Housing-and-Shelters.pdf.

National Consensus Statement of Anti-Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Organizations in Support of Full and Equal Access for the Transgender Community

We, the undersigned sexual assault and domestic violence organizations, oppose antitransgender initiatives. These initiatives utilize and perpetuate the myth that protecting transgender people’s access to restrooms and locker rooms endangers the safety or privacy of others. As organizations that care about reducing assault and violence, we favor laws and policies that protect transgender people from discrimination, including in accessing facilities that match the gender they live every day.

States across the country have introduced harmful legislation or initiatives that seek to repeal non-discrimination protections or restrict transgender people’s access to genderspecific facilities like restrooms. Those who are pushing these proposals have claimed that these proposals are necessary for public safety and to prevent sexual violence against women and children. As rape crisis centers, shelters, and other service providers who work each and every day to meet the needs of all survivors and reduce sexual assault and domestic violence throughout society, we speak from experience and expertise when we state that these claims are false.

Nondiscrimination laws protecting transgender people have existed for a long time. Over 200 municipalities and 18 states have nondiscrimination laws protecting transgender people’s access to facilities consistent with the gender they live every day. In some cases, these protections have been in place for decades. These laws have protected people from discrimination without creating harm. None of those jurisdictions have seen a rise in sexual violence or other public safety issues due to nondiscrimination laws. Assaulting another person in a restroom or changing room remains against the law in every single state. We operate and advocate for rape crisis centers and shelters all over the country, including in cities and states with non-discrimination protections for transgender people. Those protections have not weakened public safety or criminal laws, nor have they compromised their enforcement.

Nondiscrimination laws do not allow men to go into women’s restrooms—period. The claim that allowing transgender people to use the facilities that match the gender they live every day allows men into women’s bathrooms or women into men’s is based either on a flawed understanding of what it means to be transgender or a misrepresentation of the law.

It may be hard to understand the experiences of transgender people, especially if you have never met a transgender person. We believe in respecting the identities of transgender people. Transgender people live in a society that often discriminates against them and makes it much harder for them to participate in the routines of daily life.

The efforts to ban transgender people from using public restrooms obscures the fact that all of us, including transgender people, are deeply concerned about safety and privacy in restrooms. Transgender people already experience unconscionably high rates of sexual assault—and forcing them out of facilities consistent with the gender they live every day makes them vulnerable to assault. As advocates committed to ending sexual assault and domestic violence of every kind, we will never support any law or policy that could put anyone at greater risk for assault or harassment. That is why we are able to strongly support transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination protections—and why we oppose any law that would jeopardize the safety of transgender people by forcing them into restrooms that do not align with the gender they live every day.

It is natural to be concerned about safety and privacy. As advocates and survivors, we know the threat of sexual assault is real and pervasive. Every time we hear of someone who speaks of their assault or abuse, we feel their pain. The safety fears that many have, especially those who are survivors, are not baseless or irrational, nor should they be dismissed. However, discriminating against transgender people does nothing to decrease the risk of sexual assault.

Discriminating against transgender people does not give anyone more control over their body or security. Those who perpetuate falsehoods about transgender people and nondiscrimination laws are putting transgender people in harm’s way and making no one safer. We cannot stand by while the needs of survivors, both those who are transgender and those who are not, are obscured in order to push a political agenda that does nothing to serve and protect victims and potential victims. We will only accomplish our goal of ending sexual violence by treating all people, including those who are transgender, with fairness and respect.

National Organizations
Alliance for Strong Families and Communities
American Association of University Women
American Dance Therapy Association
Asian Pacific Institute on Gender Based Violence
Battered Women's Justice Project
Break the Cycle
Center for Women Policy Studies
FaithTrust Institute
Futures Without Violence
Hollaback!
Just Detention International
Know Your IX
Legal Momentum
Men As Peacemakers
Men's Story Project
National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE)
National Alliance to End Sexual Violence
National Center for Victims of Crime
National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
National Council of Jewish Women
National Domestic Violence Hotline
National Housing Law Project
National Indigenous Women's Resource Center
National Latina@ Network: Casa de Esperanza
National Network to End Domestic Violence
National Organization for Men Against Sexism
National Organization for Women
National Organization of Asian Pacific Islanders Ending Sexual Violence
National Organization of Sisters of Color Ending Sexual Assault
National Organization for Victim Assistance
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
National Women’s Law Center
Praxis International
Resource Sharing Project
Stop It Now!
Support Network of Advocates for Protective Parents
YWCA

State/Territorial and Local Organizations
Alabama
State
Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Montgomery)
AshaKiran, Inc. (Huntsville)
Alaska
State
YWCA Alaska (Anchorage)
Local
Sitkans Against Family Violence (Sitka)
Arizona
State
Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (Phoenix)
Chrysalis (Phoenix)
Local
Apache Behavioral Health Services, Inc. (Whiteriver)
California
State
California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (Sacramento)
California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (Sacramento)
Coalition for Family Harmony (Oxnard)
Local
A.M.E. Counseling Services (Los Angeles)
Alliance for Community Transformations (Mariposa)
Asian Women's Shelter (San Francisco)
Building Futures with Women and Children (San Leandro)
Center for Community Solutions (San Diego)
Family Service Agency of Burbank (Burbank)
Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles (Los Angeles)
Lassen Family Services, Inc. (Susanville)
Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice (Los Angeles)
Rural Human Services: Harrington House (Crescent City)
San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium (San Francisco)
Shepherd's Door Domestic Violence Resource Center (Pasadena)
STAND! For Families Free of Violence (Concord)
Strength United (Van Nuys)
Strong Hearted Native Women's Coalition, Inc. (Valley Center)
Walnut Avenue Family & Women's Center (Santa Cruz)
Colorado
State
Alliance Against Domestic Abuse (Salida)
Alternatives to Violence (Loveland)
Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Denver)
Deaf Overcoming Violence through Empowerment (Denver)
Domestic Violence Initiative (Denver)
Local
Advocate Safehouse Project (Glenwood Springs)
Advocates for Victims of Assault (Dillon)
Estes Valley Crisis Advocates (Estes Park)
Project Safeguard (Denver)
RESPONSE (Aspen)
SafeHouse Denver (Denver)
Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (Boulder)
Connecticut
State
Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence (East Hartford)
Local
Chrysalis (Meriden)
Delaware
State
Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Wilmington)
District of Columbia
DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Washington, DC)
DC Rape Crisis Center (Washington, DC)
Florida
State
Florida Council Against Sexual Violence (Tallahassee)
Florida NOW (Indialantic)
Local
Brevard NOW (Satellite Beach)
Greater Orlando NOW (Orlando)
Women's Center of Jacksonville (Jacksonville)
Georgia
State
Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Decatur)
Local
Northwest Georgia Family Crisis Center (Dalton)
Columbus Alliance for Battered Women, Inc. d/b/a Hope Harbour (Columbus)
Guam
Guam Coalition Against Sexual Assault & Family Violence (Hagatna)
Hawaii
State
The Sex Abuse Treatment Center (Honolulu)
Idaho
State
Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence (Boise)
Illinois
State
Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Springfield)
Illinois National Organization for Women (Springfield)
Local
Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women's Network (Chicago)
Connections for Abused Women and their Children (Chicago)
HOPE of Ogle County (Rochelle)
Mano a Mano Family Resource Center (Round Lake Park)
Mujeres Latinas en Accion (Chicago)
Rape Advocacy Counseling and Education Services (Urbana)
Rape Victim Advocates (Chicago)
Rockford Sexual Assault Counseling Inc. (Rockford)
Indiana
State
Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Inc. (Indianapolis)
Local
Alternatives Incorporated (Anderson)
Coburn Place Safe Haven (Indianapolis)
Council on Domestic Abuse, Inc. (Terre Haute)
Crisis Connection, Inc. (Jasper)
Domestic Violence Network (Indianapolis)
Middle Way House (Bloomington)
Rush County Victims Assistance, Inc. (Rushville)
Turning Point Domestic Violence Services (Columbus)
Iowa
State
Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Des Moines)
Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault (Des Moines)
Monsoon United Asian Women of Iowa (Des Moines)
Local
Crisis Intervention Services (Oskaloosa)
Domestic Violence Intervention Program (Iowa City)
Kansas
State
Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (Topeka)
Louisiana
State
Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Baton Rouge)
Local
Faith House (Lafayette)
Metropolitan Center for Women and Children (Jefferson)
SAFE (Southeast Advocates for Family Empowerment) (Hammond)
Maine
State
Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault (Augusta)
Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence (Augusta)
Wabanaki Women's Coalition (Lincolnville)
Local
New Hope for Women (Rockland) 
Safe Voices (Lewiston)
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services (Lewiston)
Sexual Assault Services of Midcoast Maine (Brunswick)
Maryland
State
Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA) (Silver Spring)
Maryland NOW (Silver Spring)
Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence (Lanham)
Local
HopeWorks of Howard County (Columbia)
Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (Rockville)
Massachusetts
State
Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (Boston)
Jane Doe Inc., the MA Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence (Boston)
Local
A Safe Place, Inc. (Nantucket)
Alternative House (Lowell)
Casa Myrna Vazquez (Boston)
DOVE, Inc. (Quincy)
Jewish Family & Children's Service (Waltham)
New Hope, Inc. (Attleboro)
REACH Beyond Domestic Violence (Waltham)
Transition House (Cambridge)
Minnesota
State
Sacred Hoop Coalition (Duluth)
Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women (St. Paul) 
Local
Bluff Country Family Resources (Hokah)
Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center (Minneapolis)
Tubman (Twin Cities)
Missouri
State
Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (Jefferson City)
Missouri NOW (Columbia)
Montana
State
Adapt Montana (Missoula)
Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (Helena)
Nebraska
State
Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (Lincoln)
Local
Crisis Center (Grand Island)
Project Response, INC (Auburn)
Nevada
State
Nevada Network Against Domestic Violence (Reno)
Local
S.A.F.E. House (Henderson)
Safe Nest (Las Vegas)
Tahoe SAFE Alliance (Incline Village)
New Hampshire
State
New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (Concord)
Turning Points Network (Claremont)
YWCA NH (Manchester)
Local
New Beginnings - Without Violence & Abuse (Laconia)
New Jersey
State
New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault (Lawrenceville)
Local
YWCA Union County (Elizabeth)
New Mexico
State
New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NMCADV) (Santa Fe)
Local
Community Against Violence, Inc. (CAV) (Taos)
New York
State
Day ONE (New York City)
New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Albany)
New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault (Albany)
Local
Advocacy Center of Tompkins County (Ithaca)
CONNECT (New York City)
Crime Victim and Sexual Violence Center (Albany)
Delaware Opportunities Safe Against Violence (Hamden)
Erie County Coalition Against Family Violence (Buffalo)
First Step Victim Services at Catholic Charities of Chemung/Schuyler Counties (Watkins Glen)
Hope’s Door (Pleasantville)
My Sisters' Place (White Plains)
Safe Homes of Orange County (Newburgh)
Safe Horizon (New York City)
Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service, Inc. (Crisis Services) (Buffalo)
The Family Counseling Center (Gloversville)
The Safe Center LI, Inc. (Bethpage)
Vera House, Inc. (Syracuse)
VIBS (Islandia)
Victims Assistance Center of Jefferson County (Watertown)
Violence Intervention Program, Inc. (New York)
Willow Domestic Violence Center (Rochester)
YWCA of the Niagara Frontier (Lockport, Niagara Falls and North Tonawanda)
North Carolina
State
North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Durham)
North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault (Raleigh)
North Carolina Women United (Raleigh)
Local
Families First Inc. (Whiteville)
Family Services of Davidson County (Lexington)
Help, Incorporated: Center Against Violence (Reidsville)
Ohio
State
ACTION OHIO Coalition For Battered Women (Columbus)
Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence (Cleveland)
Local
Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center (Cleveland)
Oklahoma
State
Native Alliance Against Violence (Norman)
Local
Ponca Tribe Domestic Violence Program (Ponca City)
Oregon
State
Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (Portland)
Local
Bradley Angle (Portland)
Lake County Crisis Center (Lakeview)
Safe Harbors (Enterprise)
Sexual Assault Resource Center (Beaverton)
Southern Oregon University Women's Resource Center (Ashland)
Pennsylvania
State
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Harrisburg)
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (Enola)
Local
Abuse & Rape Crisis Center (Towanda)
Alle-Kiski Area HOPE Center, Inc. (Tarentum)
Berks Women in Crisis (Reading)
Blackburn Center Against Domestic & Sexual Violence (Greensburg)
Clinton County Women's Center (Lock Haven)
Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Inc. (Philadelphia)
Crime Victims Council of the Lehigh Valley, Inc. (Allentown)
Crisis Center North (Pittsburgh)
HAVIN (Helping All Victims in Need) (Kittanning)
SafeNet (Erie)
Schuylkill Women in Crisis (Pottsville)
SWPA National Organization For Women (NOW) (Beaver)
The Abuse Network, Inc. (Lewistown)
The Women's Center, Inc. of Columbia/Montour Counties (Bloomsburg)
Transitions of PA (Lewisburg)
Turning Point of Lehigh Valley, Inc. (Allentown)
Victim Outreach Intervention Center (VOICe) (Butler)
Victims' Intervention Program (Honesdale)
Women In Transition (Philadelphia)
Women's Resource Center (Scranton)
Women's Resources of Monroe County, Inc. (Delaware Water Gap)
Women's Services, Inc. (Meadville)
YWCA Lancaster (Lancaster)
YWCA Northcentral PA (Williamsport)
Rhode Island
State
Day One (Providence)
South Carolina
State
National Assn. of Social Workers, SC Chapter (Columbia)
South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (Columbia)
Local
Family Justice Center of Georgetown and Horry Counties (Georgetown)
People Against Rape (Charleston)
Pickens County Advocacy Center (Easley)
SAFE Homes-Rape Crisis Coalition (Spartanburg)
Texas
State
The Texas Council on Family Violence (Austin)
Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (Austin)
Local
Cross Timbers Family Services (Stephenville)
Freedom House (Weatherford)
Houston Area Women's Center (Houston)
The Crisis Center (Odessa)
The Family Place (Dallas)
U.S. Virgin Islands
Women's Coalition of St. Croix (St. Croix)
Vermont
State
Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (Montpelier)
Local
AWARE, Inc. (Hardwick)
CVOEO/Voices Against Violence (St. Albans)
Project Against Violent Encounters (Bennington)
Sexual Assault Crisis Team (Barre)
Women Helping Battered Women (Burlington)
WomenSafe (Middlebury) 
Virginia
State
True Help Organization (Reston)
Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance (Richmond)
Local
Empowerhouse (Fredericksburg)
Washington
State
API Chaya (Seattle)
Crisis Support Network (Raymond)
Legal Voice (Seattle)
Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (Olympia)
Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV) (Seattle)
Washington State NOW (Olympia)
Local
Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse, Inc. (Pullman)
Asian Counseling and Referral Service (Seattle)
Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence (Seattle)
DAWN (Kent)
Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County (Everett)
Emergency Support Shelter (Longview)
Forks Abuse Program (Forks)
Jewish Family Service (Seattle)
Seattle NOW (Brier)
New Beginnings (Seattle)
Programs for Peaceful Living (Bingen)
SafePlace (Olympia)
The DoVE Project (Vashon)
YWCA Clark County (Vancouver)
YWCA Olympia (Olympia)
YWCA Pierce County (Tacoma)
YWCA Seattle|King|Snohomish (Seattle)
YWCA Yakima (Yakima)
West Virginia
State
West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Elkview)
Wisconsin
State
End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin (Madison)
Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault (WCASA) (Madison)
Local
People Against Domestic & Sexual Abuse (Jefferson)
Rainbow House Domestic Abuse Services, Inc. (Marinette)
The Bridge to Hope (Menomonie) 
Wyoming
State
Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (Laramie)

ACTION ALERT: Asylum for Domestic Violence Survivors Suddenly Under Threat

Attorney General Sessions is poised to reverse long-settled policy that allows survivors of domestic violence to seek asylum protection. We need to tell him that we stand with survivors.

Aracely’s story began in Honduras, where she lived with her family in a small community. At age 15, a man in her village known for his violent temper kidnapped her. His abuse continued for years, until one day he shot Aracely in the head, killed her two sons, and then killed himself. Aracely, who was pregnant with a daughter, miraculously survived, as did her daughter. After that, her abuser’s family blamed Aracely for his death and threatened to kill her and her family. She tried escaping to another part of Honduras, but his family found her there. Aracely's only chance to stay alive was to flee to the United States, where she was granted asylum in 2015. AG Sessions is now seeking to retract existing policy that asylum officers and immigration judges should grant asylum to women fleeing severe domestic violence who meet a range of other stringent criteria. He just announced that he is redeciding a case, Matter of A-B-, in which a woman was granted asylum because she experienced extensive physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her domestic partner, much like Aracely. You can read more about it here.

If you have any questions, contact Archi Pyati, Tahirih Justice Center.

ACTION ALERT: Urge Your Senators to Support Fix NICS and Oppose Concealed Carry Reciprocity!

The Senate will soon consider two bills that will have a huge impact on survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.

S.446 would make it terrifyingly easy for abusers to legally carry concealed firearms into other states when stalking their victims. S.446, the ‘Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017’ would undercut existing state and local protections for victims of domestic and dating violence -- and replace those protections with the weakest gun laws in the country. It’s a race to the bottom. And survivors of domestic violence will be the losers.

“Concealed carry reciprocity (CCR)” is a complicated name for a law that would make it simple for abusers to threaten and harass -- and kill -- their intimate partners with firearms. Survivors often relocate to other states to escape their abusers, but S.446 would force every state to accept other states’ concealed carry permits, even if the out-of-state permit was issued to domestic abusers who would be prohibited from obtaining such a permit in the state in which they are traveling.  Contrary to the bill’s title, this is a clear violation of the Constitution’s recognition of states’ rights, and it is dangerous for victims of domestic violence.

In contrast the Fix NICS Act of 2017 (S. 2135) protects victims by improving the entry of domestic violence records into NICS. Victim advocates know all too well that very few domestic violence protection order records and equally few domestic violence misdemeanor records are entered into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). When these records are not entered into NICS, abusers can easily obtain illegal firearms by erroneously passing a background check. Fix NICS is a very modest, bipartisan, bicameral, noncontroversial bill with support from across the political and idealogical spectrum that helps law enforcement do their job. While much more significant change is needed to protect victims and survivors from abusers with firearms, Fix NICS is a positive first step.

Contact your Senators and urge them to SUPPORT the Fix NICS Act of 2017 (S.2135) and to OPPOSE CCR (S.446).

See below for sample scripts, Tweets, etc.  You can find your Senators and their contact information at the top of this page.  Their Twitter handles and Facebook pages can be found here.  

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Rachel Graber at the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence or Rob Valente.

Sample Scripts:

Phone script: “My name is [your name], and I am a concerned constituent from [your location and, if applicable, your organization].  I oppose S.446, the ironically named ‘Constitutional Concealed Carry Act of 2017’, which imposes federally-mandated concealed carry reciprocity on my state.  S.446 makes it harder for law enforcement to protect victims of domestic violence, puts victims of domestic violence and law enforcement officers at risk of gun violence, is a violation of the Constitution’s guarantee of states’ rights, and makes our communities less safe.  In contrast, the Fix NICS Act of 2017, S.2135, will save lives by increasing the submission of domestic violence records to NICS.  I urge Senator [Senator’s name] to vote in favor of the Fix NICS Act of 2017 to save lives and against concealed carry reciprocity, which will kill.”

Sample Email:

Dear Senator [Senator’s name],

My name is [your name], and I am a constituent from [your location and, if applicable, organization].  I strongly urge you to oppose S.446, which could have fatal consequences for victims and survivors of domestic violence.  S.446, the federally-mandated concealed carry reciprocity bill, would undercut existing state and local protections for victims of domestic and dating violence -- and would replace those protections with the weakest gun laws in the country!  Do you want to make it easier for domestic abusers to get guns and to terrorize, stalk, and kill their victims?

S.446 would force every state to accept other states’ concealed carry permits, even if the out-of-state concealed carry permit was issued to a domestic violence offender who would be prohibited from obtaining such a permit in the travel state.  This is a clear violation of the Constitution’s recognition of states’ rights, and it is dangerous for victims of domestic violence.

In contrast, the bipartisan, non-contoversial Fix NICS Act of 2017 (S.2135) will save lives by increasing the submission of domestic violence records into NICS and keep illegal firearms out of the hands of abusers.  This bipartisan and bicameral bill is supported by the domestic violence community and organizations across the ideological spectrum.  For all of these reasons, I urge you to OPPOSE S.446 and SUPPORT the Fix NICS Act of 2017.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Sample Tweet: @[Legislator’s Twitter handle] Federally mandated concealed carry reciprocity harms victims of DV & endangers law enforcement. Fix NICS Act saves lives and protects law enforcement #NoGuns4Abusers #NoS446 #FixNICS #YesS2135

Sample Facebook Post:  As a constituent, I ask you to oppose federally-mandated concealed carry reciprocity (S.446) and support the Fix NICS Act of 2017 (S.2135).   Concealed carry makes it harder for law enforcement to protect victims of domestic violence, puts victims of domestic violence and law enforcement officers at risk of gun violence, is a violation of the Constitution’s guarantee of states’ rights, and makes our communities less safe.  Fix NICS, in contrast, will protect victims and survivors from abusers with guns by increasing the submission of domestic violence records to NICS.

NTF's Sexual Harassment Statement

As 2018 begins, we are encouraged and inspired by the activism and courageous actions of those in Congress, the Supreme Court, Hollywood, and many others in response to disclosures by victims of sexual violence and misconduct that range from verbal harassment to rape in the workplace.  We stand in solidarity with our sisters in the entertainment industry and activists who wore black on Sunday during the Golden Globe Awards. The National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (NTF) is comprised of a large and diverse group of national, tribal, state, territorial and local organizations, as well as individuals, committed to securing an end to domestic and sexual violence, dating violence, and stalking.  We strive to accomplish these goals by developing and supporting the passage and implementation of effective public policies locally, tribally, and nationally.

We have seen a new spark of commitment and action from those empowered to effect systemic change that builds on decades of groundwork by activists from all walks of life. Congress introduced legislation requiring harassment prevention training for members of Congress and their staff and is working to overhaul the complaint process for sexual harassment claims in order to increase transparency, accountability, and more effective responses.  Chief Justice Roberts has ordered an evaluation to commence this month reviewing whether “the Court’s standards of conduct and its procedures for investigating and correcting inappropriate behavior are adequate to ensure an exemplary workplace for every judge and every court employee.”  

NTF lifts up the leadership of Tarana Burke, who started the #MeToo campaign in 2006, and acknowledges that the program she began centered the experiences of young women of color who were survivors of sexual violence. It is crucial to understand that, for nearly all women, the experiences of harassment and violence that are the focus of #MeToo begins long before they reach the workplace. We must support empowerment and prevention efforts in the K-12 and campus spaces.  Additionally, we must demand accountability from political leaders, Congress, workplaces, and communities.

NTF also applauds TIME’S UP, which offers a myriad of supportive services to those who have been underrepresented, marginalized, and silenced in the workplace.  The initiative will focus on policy, legislation, and employment agreements to change the current workplace cultures of institutionalized sexism, and provide greater access to legal remedies should one choose that option.  TIME’S UP recognizes the power the entertainment industry has to shape our national narratives and understandings, because for too long that power has been used to silence victims.  Now, those who have been silenced are empowered to use their voice, their numbers, and their platforms to assist all women who have been harassed, violated, and made afraid - from farms to restaurants, private homes to hotels, academic institutions to health care agencies, studio lots to government buildings.

The groundswell of stories from those who have suffered abuse and met silence, trivialization, and marginalization when they attempted to put words to their experiences highlights what has been all too clear for the NTF since its inception: violence against women in all its forms and in all its spaces has been covered up and protected with unchecked power and privilege.  This is why we support all endeavors that communities devise to recognize physical, sexual, economic, and psychological abuse when it is happening, whether it occurs at home, on the street, in the workplace, or a place of worship and to address it with a multitude of options that are as diverse as the survivors who have experienced sexual violence and abuse, including men and LGBT individuals.  

We know harassment, sexual violence and abuse are inexorably intertwined with racism, homophobia, and institutionalized poverty. We know that women of color have endured an undue burden of sexual assault and violence in this country; that LGBTQ people are systematically targeted, and that some boys and men are victimized by harassment, assault, and abuse as well.   Thus, we know we need everyone at this table to participate in order to achieve a significant paradigm shift toward prevention and intervention strategies that honor everyone’s right to live free from violence.  We affirm that we all have the right to fall asleep on airplanes without being sexually assaulted.  We all have the right to do our jobs in the workplace without fearing we will lose our paychecks if we do not give in to sexual demands.  We all have the right to pursue an education without being harassed or assaulted by other students, or by our professors.  We all have the right to walk down the street without being subjected to catcalls.  We all have the right to tell our stories without shame, or fear, or any kind of retaliation.

As we prepare for the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act this spring, we call on the Congress and other leaders to invest in early prevention so our young people can grow up with the expectation and reality of respect, equity, and safety. We will continue to collectively raise awareness of violence against women.  We will collectively strive to prevent violence against all women and girls. We will collectively push back on antiquated and misogynistic notions of women’s value and worth.  We will rise together so #MeToo no longer defines our shared experiences.  We will transform cultural and societal norms to celebrate the gifts women bring without compromising our sexuality, our dignity, or our souls.