Jan
11
Law Professor Will Ask U.S. Supreme Court To Reverse Decision That A Woman Can Be Fired For Being Stalked
Filed Under Announcement, Guest Post, News, Powerful Women, Stalking | By Dawn Martin | 1 Comment
During Stalking Awareness Month, Supreme Court will Decide whether Stalking Victims are Protected against Employment Discrimination
Washington, D.C. – On January 13, 2012, the Supreme Court will decide whether to hear the case of Martin v. Howard University. The National Organization for Women (NOW) Foundation and civil rights attorney Dawn V. Martin, want the high Court to hold that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects a woman from being stalked in her workplace and from being terminated for reporting it. NOW Foundation has filed an Amicus (friend of the Court) Brief in support of Ms. Martin. This case is particularly timely in light of recent attention to the failure of universities to respond to resports of sexual attacks on campuses and because January is Stalking Awareness Month. Howard, specifically, still fails to take complaints of sexual harassment seriously. See Bello. v. Howard University, 1:11-cv-02106-CKK; http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/177504/158/Lawsuit-Howard-University-Negligent-In-Sexual-Assault-Harassment-Case. Howard opposes the participation of NOW Foundation in the case.
78% of stalking victims are women. 54% of female murder victims reported their stalkers to the police before being killed by them. In a 2009 documentary about the case, Kim Gandy, then, the President of NOW, said: “We’ve had situations like this, where women, stalked in the workplace, were fired, or let go, because they were stalked.” Ms. Martin said, “No woman should have to choose between her job and her safety.”
Law Professor Dawn Martin was stalked on the campus of Read more
Nov
30
Legal Access Granted: Sexual Assault Survivors in Texas
Filed Under Announcement, Guest Post, Legal Servivces, Resource, sexual assault laws | By Robert A. Brothers | Leave a Comment
Credit: Free images from acobox.com
Robert is a staff attorney with VICARS (The Victim Initiative for Counseling Advocacy & Restoration of the Southwest) a project of the Texas Legal Services Center.
When we see a sexual assault crime portrayed in the media, we are always presented with the dramatic criminal trial. There, at the conclusion of the criminal proceedings the judge renders the guilty verdict and justice is served; the survivor can now begin to move on with their lives, vindicated and on the road to recovery.
Of course, the reality of a sexual assault is much different.
In fact, sexual assault cases rarely make it through to a criminal trial. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network) Only 6% of rapists will ever spend a day in jail. The emphasis that people place on the importance of the criminal trial is disingenuous and overshadows the immediate needs and safety issues a sexual assault survivor faces.
There is also an issue with reporting. According to the “Health Survey of Texans: A focus on sexual assault” In Texas, only eighteen percent of victims reported their sexual assault to the police. Often, the reporting of the crime functions as the gateway to services for survivors. What about the eighty two percent of survivors in Texas who do not report the sexual assault to the police? Simply because they didn’t report their assault to authorities doesn’t mean that they do not have those same immediate needs.
Let’s look at some of those immediate needs in the aftermath of a sexual assault in Texas. The following is not legal advice and a survivor or advocate is strongly urged to consult with an attorney on all of Read more
Nov
16
Personally Speaking…..
Filed Under child sexul assault, Diversity, Guest Post, Motivating Moments, Powerful Women, Resource, sexual harrassment | By Rose Luna | Leave a Comment
The topics of child sexual assault and sexual harassment have ushered onto the national spotlight. As the Presidential nomination process continues and the Penn State scandal unfolds, advocates across the country cautiously watch as sensitive matters are frivolously discussed across media outlets. Local, state and national sexual assault organizations have garnered words of encouragement and official position statements. In addition, we gathered the personal thoughts weighing heavily on the minds of TAASA staff.
A trilogy of blogs authored by TAASA staff as events unfolded.
PART I of 3
I AM WOMAN hear me ROAR!
By Rose Luna
Credit: Free images from acobox.com
Sexual harassment has been the topic of the month since the claims against a current Presidential candidate surfaced. On my drive in this morning I haphazardly listened to the radio when the following comment caught my attention: “Well women just need to distinguish between someone ‘making a pass’ at work and sexual harassment” the other (a woman I might add)said this “Well this last woman has no credibility, she didn’t file a claim like the others”. I jammed the radio button to silence the absurdity and quell my rage.
The flippancy in the discussion of sexual harassment was disheartening. And the lack of media critique on the dismissal of these claims as a “distraction” to “real issues” (in my opinion) undermines years of social change attained by the women’s movement of the past. Throughout history sexualized violence against women has been met with conspicuous suspicion. The focus remains on the victim’s behavior, dress and/or choices as opposed to the criminal acts of the offender. Sexual harassment in the workplace is also met resistance and doubt. Many of the victims primarily women, suffer in silence for fear of losing their job.
A 2008 telephone poll by Louis Harris and Associates on 782 U.S. workers revealed:
* 31% of the female workers reported they had been harassed at work
* 7% of the male workers reported they had been harassed at work
* 62% of targets took no action
* 100% of women reported the harasser was a man
* 59% of men reported the harasser was a woman
* 41% of men reported the harasser was another man
Of the women who had been harassed:
* 43% were harassed by a supervisor
* 27% were harassed by an employee senior to them
* 19% were harassed by a coworker at their level
* 8% were harassed by a junior employee
The stark parallels on the realities of sexual assault and sexual harassment paint a bleak picture for women in contemporary society. In 2011 the thought of powerful independent women is still met with skepticism. According to a 2009 sexual harassment study at the University of Minnesota,Researcher Heather McLaughlin reported “This study provides the strongest evidence to date supporting the theory that sexual harassment is less about sexual desire than about control and domination….Male co-workers, clients and supervisors seem to be using harassment as an equalizer against women in power.”
Hillary Clinton’s bid for the 2008 Democratic Presidential Nomination may have “cracked the glass ceiling” however the indifferent characterization of sexual harassment victims this past month exposes a renovation project far from over.
PART 2 of 3
Sexual Harassment is a voting issue
Annette Burrhus Clay- TAASA Executive Director (our fearless leader!)
Credit: Free images from acobox.com
Annette has been in the movement for over 30 years and is a nationally renowned authority on sexual assault issues.
I have been absolutely flabbergasted with the general disinterest by the public in Herman Cain’s sexual harassment allegations. Some media has kept the story out in the public but it doesn’t really seem to be getting any traction. When Cain publicly and unapologetically all but dared reporters to ask any more questions about it and then bragged that his donations have actually increased since the story broke, made me very sad for our country.
Why is it in this primary season we are much more interested in Mitt Romney’s religion or Rick Perry’s debating skills than we are of the blatant disregard and disrespect of half of the electorate? This does matter! First I hear this is gossip fueled by two disgruntled women and then two more victims surface. Next is the claim that the accusations are completely baseless, not even worthy of remembering they actually occurred. And then we find out a considerable settlement was paid. That was followed by the outrage that the victims were anonymous so couldn’t be trusted. Finally, two victim identities are revealed (through both a press conference and an outing) and the victim’s character and motivations became the headline. Is it any wonder that most women never report their victimization?
I have seen sexual harassment downplayed and joked about for years, so under normal circumstances I might not be so surprised by this reaction, but this is the primaries where candidates are under a microscope and their every word and action scrutinized. So why have so many people given Herman Cain a pass? Why is the treatment of women such a low priority? I wonder if it’s not the same reason why it’s so much harder to find Congressional co-sponsors for the Violence Against Women Act this session. Are we so concerned about the economy and jobs that we’ve collectively decided women can be the sacrificial lamb? I hope that’s not the case but I can assure you, women are watching and we are voting.
PART 3 of 3
Unthinkable complacency
By Lyn Williams
Credit: Free photos from acobox.com
Lyn is TAASA’s training director. He is a father, husband and an avid LSU fan.
I will soon be 62 years of age and I have been a college football fan as long as I can remember. I follow professional sports to a degree but because it has become nothing more than a business it does not have the same luster as college sports. For many years college football was basically pure in its approach to the game. Read more
Oct
12
Sexual Assault on College Campuses: What you Need to Know
Filed Under Guest Post, Resource | By Amy Reynolds | Leave a Comment
Credit: Free images from acobox.com If you are a young woman who has just gone off to college, it can be a very thrilling time in your life. You are away from home, making all sorts of new friends, gaining new knowledge, and experiencing a variety of other things for the first time—you are on your own.
However, with all the excitement that college brings, it can be easy to get caught up and neglect some important issues. One of the most important issues is the issue of your safety. Being a new college student, you might not know how widespread sexual assault has become on campuses across the nation. Since it is such an epidemic, here are some things that you as a smart, brilliant young woman should know.
The scary truth. The following statistics were gathered by the American Association of University Women and need to be thoughtfully considered by all college students so that we can do our part in fighting against sexual assault:
• 20-25 percent of college women are raped during their time at school—equating to one in five women.
• Approximately one-third of these sexual assault cases are first year students between the ages of 17 and 19 years old.
• Less than 5% of sexual assaults are reported to law enforcement.
• The main factor in these attacks is alcohol—it is involved in 75% of them.
• One in 12 college men admitted to committing acts that meet the legal definition of rape.
• 80-90% of sexual assaults are committed by people known to the victim…most being fellow classmates, friends, boyfriends or exes.
• 60% of rapes occur in college residence halls.
• 52% of rapes/sexual assaults that are reported occur after midnight.
No one deserves to be raped. Unfortunately, many women tend to blame themselves if they were involved in a night of drinking, wearing revealing clothes, or maybe put themselves in a questionable situation. What needs to be understood, however, is that no situation warrants rape or sexual assault. Perpetrators are responsible for their own actions. Survivors are never to blame. Read more
Oct
4
I’m too pretty to …
Filed Under Guest Post, Motivating Moments, Powerful Women, Prevention | By Tim Love | Leave a Comment
Credit: Free photos from acobox.com Back in August, J.C. Penney was selling a shirt in their stores that had the following text written across the front of it, “I’m too pretty to do homework so my brother has to do it for me.” (Brief pause for everyone to get their screams out.) Okay, so obviously the message behind the t-shirt is, let’s say, problematic. The message to young women is clear – don’t bother getting your learn on and don’t be smart, because all it is really about is being attractive so you can get men to do things for you. And this message fits in with a whole cacophony of similar messaging that exists throughout our society. As a human being, and as a father of two daughters, this message is unacceptable, demeaning and limiting. Thankfully, there was swift outrage and J.C. Penney pulled the t-shirt from their stores. If you’d like to read one of the blog stories out there about this t-shirt, you can click here.
I have written before about media and fashion messaging about masculinity and femininity, so I’m not looking to go through a more thorough explanation of the problem with this t-shirt. What I did find interesting was that shortly after stories about the t-shirt broke, one website challenged people to complete the following statement, “I’m too _____ to do my homework, so my _____ had to do it for me.” You can imagine a whole range of possible responses, but one from a friend stood out to me. Deborah completed the statement in the follow way.
I’m too manipulated by a patriarchal-capitalist system that tells me my entire self worth is dictated by how ‘pretty’ (determined by who again?) I am to do my homework, so my brother has to do it for me, which is fine because he’s going to end up getting paid more and promoted above me anyway, although if I bring this tidbit up, I’ll just be called a feminazi and possibly a lesbian.
Thank you Deborah. I laughed so hard I couldn’t see straight, and you reminded me that sometimes humor and sarcasm are particularly useful strategies when dealing with inequity.
Anyone else want to take a crack at completing the sentence above? It’s time to tap into that funny bone and let the sarcasm fly. Come on, it will feel good.
Sep
26
Sexual Assault is NOT a Partisan Issue
Filed Under Guest Post, Motivating Moments, Powerful Women | By Rose Luna | Leave a Comment
It’s no secret Texas Governor Rick Perry is running for President and the First Lady’s work with TAASA has been the focus of several news articles. Mica Mosbacher responds to those reports with a genuine and personal account of how she became an avid supporter of TAASA. Below please read Mica’s courageous editorial in defense of Anita Perry’s work on behalf of sexual assault survivors.
(Published Austin American Statesman: 6:32 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011)
_______________________________________
I survived sexual assault at the innocent age of 19. It occurred in London while on a holiday during the summer break before my junior year at the University of Texas.
I had been out to dinner with a large group of friends at a respectable restaurant. This guy came to our table and bought me a drink, but I did not ask him to join us. I did sip on the drink, and feeling quite drunk, I took a cab back to the hotel. I barely made it to my room. Soon someone knocked on the door and I opened it. That’s all I remember until I woke up.
I did not report it to British authorities. I was ashamed, humiliated and too afraid of being judged or labeled to tell anyone about the attack.
I cut my European tour short and refused to meet my dad as planned in France. Upon returning home, I became despondent. Still, I tried to soldier on. My studies were affected and I was suddenly world weary — but I functioned well on the surface.
I kept this secret for 30 years, until I was introduced to first lady Anita Perry and the fine work she was doing to help assault victims through Texas Association against Sexual Assault.
She was so compassionate and understanding when I quietly admitted that I was a survivor. I agreed to host an inaugural luncheon in Houston to help raise money for the association. It would mean that I would have to step forward and tell my story. I wasn’t sure I could do so, but I was moved by the first lady’s advocacy and willingness to work for a non-glamorous charity that I agreed to help others and perhaps help myself.
I believe there are no coincidences. While planning the lunch, my son’s girlfriend, now wife, told me about a friend who had been raped while on a trip to New Braunfels. I took the risk of being vulnerable and shared with Lauren my experience. Lauren was looking for a way to tell her story to others and to offer hope and a path for healing. Lauren went on to speak at the luncheon and to tell her compelling story in front of a large audience of classmates, family members, school officials and strangers. She went on to be part of the association’s “Speak Up, Speak Out Campaign,” whereby survivors share their stories in ads for TV, radio and Read more
Sep
19
A letter to agencies regarding the “Slut Walk” events
Filed Under Diversity, Guest Post, Powerful Women, Resource | By Rose Luna | Leave a Comment
“Slut Walk” events have have taken the world by storm. Communities across Texas have recently experienced the “Slut Walk” phenomenon. Below please read TAASA Executive Director -Annette Burrhus-Clay’s letter in regards to the “Slut Walk” events sweeping our nation.
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Since the first SlutWalks began taking place in Texas this past spring, TAASA has been fielding questions from the media, rape crisis centers, and community members concerning these marches and whether TAASA endorses these events. We have had several discussions with our staff regarding our endorsement or participation in Slutwalks. As was illustrated in our most recent newsletter, our individual perspectives differ. Factors such as age, culture, and personal experiences have colored our opinions regarding the word “slut.” For some of us, we experience a very visceral reaction to the term and there is no interest to participate in any event that embraces the word. For others, there is a strong desire to stand in solidarity with the many women who have been immobilized, blamed and marginalized by this term.
In the end what TAASA staff could agree is that mobilizing communities to respond to misogyny, violence against women, and victim-blaming is a positive action. There was an acknowledgment that in any social justice movement there are awareness strategies with which we are eager to participate and others that cross our personal boundaries of comfort. We also felt individual rape crisis centers would grapple with the same feelings and choices and would make decisions in the best interest of their agencies, their communities, and the survivors they serve. Collectively our staff decided we would support Slutwalks when it was asked for but we would also let others be the driving force behind these local endeavors.
We are aware that some Texas sexual assault centers have been key organizers of SlutWalks; others have taken a very minor role in the public aspect of the event but have coordinated with organizers to assure that survivors who disclose or are triggered will have immediate access to services. Still others have chosen to “sit this one out” either as a deliberate, well-thought out decision or because the activists planning the event did not reach out to them or had a preference not to ally itself with the local rape crisis center. There is not one best answer that fits the needs, culture, or climate of every Texas community. TAASA’s endorsement (if asked for) of a local SlutWalk is in no way intended to suggest that our member centers have or should endorse the event.
TAASA’s support is based on the premise that more Texans need to be discussing this issue openly and regularly and if activists and survivors take the initiative to bring these critical issues into the limelight we want to provide encouragement. Social change does not happen without some conflict, uncomfortable conversations, and challenges. SlutWalks are a perfect illustration of this. I hope we will all use these events as both an opportunity to examine our personal attitudes and feelings and engage in meaningful dialogue with others who may not agree with our perspective. Reasonable, passionate, and intelligent individuals may come to very different conclusions about participation in SlutWalks and TAASA respects whatever decision is reached in your community.
Sincerely,
Annette Burrhus-Clay
Jul
15
Let’s Talk About It Man
Filed Under Guest Post | By | Leave a Comment
TAASA Guest Blogger Kelsey Downey is a program assistant for the Sexual Assault and Family Investigators Course a project of the Texas Municipal Police Association.
I first heard University of Texas Professor Robert Jensen speak years ago as a guest presenter in my Gender Communication class at St. Edward’s University. Jensen’s book Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity had just been published and – known for speaking candidly about topics typically avoided in polite conversation – Jensen challenged our class to think critically about the portrayal of hyper masculinity and sexual violence in commonly depicted scenes of pornography. Thus began our class discussion on the social implications of viewing masculinity and femininity through a pornographic lens.
Recently, I got the opportunity to hear Robert Jensen speak again at a GAFDI (Greater Austin Forum on Diversity and Inclusion) meeting, where he briefly touched on the nature of patriarchal masculinity as a social system. Some people may hear the word “patriarchy” and feel it is a non-issue and others may dismiss the conversation as extreme leftist rhetoric, but from the moment we are born we are socialized according to our sex. From the color of clothes our parents dress us in, to what kind of toys we are supposed to play with – regardless of political stance, religious affiliation, race, or class – at some point during growth we are exposed to certain gender expectations. These expectations in turn have an effect on the adult person we become. As a woman who has studied issues relating to domestic violence, sexual assault, and topics of this nature – I have heard a lot about how patriarchy has negatively affected the lives of women – but I rarely hear about how patriarchy has negatively impacted the lives of men, something that was mentioned during the recent GAFDI meeting. This got me thinking about an old reading assignment written by bell hooks[1].
Contrary to sexist mythology, in the real world of male and female babies, male babies express themselves more. They cry longer and louder. They come into the world wanting to be seen and heard…In recent years it has become clear to researchers working on promoting the emotional lives of boys that patriarchal culture influences parents to devalue the emotional development of boys. Naturally this disregard affects boys’ capacity to love and be loving…We can not teach boys that “real men” either do not feel or do not express feelings, then expect boys to feel comfortable getting in touch with their feelings. – The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love, by bell hooks.
I think hooks and Jensen started an important conversation. Do social gender expectations influence male children to develop an emotional disconnect?
I know in my home town (small town, Texas), little boys were taught to stifle any emotions deemed “girly” – i.e. compassion, sensitivity – any warm, fuzzy feeling. If you were a boy and something upset you or hurt your feelings, crying about it was essentially committing social suicide; apathy, aggression, and anger were the only acceptable emotional responses. These gender constructs also influenced my perceptions of what it means to be a man and woman. I am the second of five children – four girls, one boy. Our father worked a lot growing up and wasn’t always around, so my brother was constantly surrounded by women. When I was 9, I remember trying to teach my 4-year-old little brother how to fight, so he could be “tough” and, well, “manly.” Even though I was just a little girl, I thought physical aggression was an act of masculinity and that men who displayed acts of femininity were somehow less than. Being someone who now works in the DV and SA field, I look back and cringe at my younger self. Obviously everybody has a different point of view regarding the events of one’s life and everyone takes away different lessons. My brother did not grow up to be an abusive man, but I often wonder if this event in our life negatively influenced him in some way. What did he think I was saying to him, and more importantly what did he hear? Did he hear me say he wasn’t good enough the way he was…did he hear me say he was weak…did he hear me say women are weak? I often wonder how many other people have similar stories, and I’m reaching out for your opinion. What are children hearing when we talk about masculinity? And, are we essentially stripping boys of their right to feel?
[1]bell hooks bucks convention and does not capitalize her name.
Jun
30
Slut Walk Austin
Filed Under Diversity, Guest Post, Motivating Moments, News, Powerful Women, Prevention | By Rose Luna | Leave a Comment
Emiliano is a Primary Prevention Specialist with TAASA
As kids, we said that “sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will never hurt us.” As adults, we know better. Words can shake us to our very core. One word in particular – SLUT – has shaken people across our country into action.
Since January 2011, SlutWalks have been organized internationally, each one garnering both praise and criticism, forcing men and women alike to engage in a difficult dialogue in order to confront the rape-culture that has permeated our communities. Regardless of people’s views of the use of the word “slut,” most can agree that SlutWalks have been effective in bringing attention to the issue of sexual violence. The organizers of each walk have been able to mobilize hundreds and, in some cases, thousands to take to the streets to demand an end to victim-blaming.
Similar to many of the other walks, SlutWalk Austin began as a buzz in social networks and culminated with a diverse group of people joining together to let their voices be heard, their presence be felt, and their demands be known. On Saturday, June 11, 2011 SlutWalk Austin got off to a shaky start with a few technical difficulties, but the message of each speaker remained clear – a woman’s clothing does NOT determine her worth and does NOT justify an attack. Victim-blaming will not be tolerated in the state of Texas, and in order to bring this message to others, the hundreds of participants from around Central Texas who had gathered marched down Congress with their signs and protest clothing, reclaiming their bodies and their streets.
SlutWalk Austin, like those before it, continues to peak interest and spark both conversation and action. A SlutWalk is scheduled for next month in Houston and more are being organized globally in small and large communities alike. Do you want to help put an end to victim-blaming? Think about joining this movement and organizing a SlutWalk in your community.
Check out video footage from the Slut Walk event in Austin:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/p0eWDtkG-i4
Jun
20
An Advocate’s Thoughts on SB 9
Filed Under Diversity, Guest Post, News, Public Policy | By Wende Hilsenrod | Leave a Comment
Texas Senate Bill 9 known as the sanctuary city bill gives police officers broader powers to ask people they detain about citizenship status. The bill passed the Texas Senate June 15th and is slated for a vote in the House this week.
Many years ago when I was working at a DV shelter, for a period of two weeks monolingual Spanish victims were reporting abuse because their husbands had been robbed of their paychecks. “Yea”, I thought, ”right”, until I took some clients to a medical clinic where the social worker reported a large number of monolingual Spanish male victims with defensive wounds. The story ends with a successful coalition of Law Enforcement, IRS, Banking Institutions, Social Services and the Mexican Consulate, each with a different perspective on how to solve the problem and a common value – community organizations are here to serve and protect everyone in the community so a vibrantly rich community
can thrive in safety.
I learned three important lessons:
1. Perpetrators have one status – perpetrators. As perpetrators they need to be prosecuted under the law.
2. Victims have one status – victims. As victims they have the legal right to services.
3. When a community operates “in the shadows” and is afraid to speak up, perpetrators will perpetrate on that community with impunity.
SB 9, though well intentioned, inadvertently results in a disconnection between safety and well- being for immigrant communities. Disenfranchising communities begs the question of who is defining safety and who has the right to safe. As advocates we support survivors unequivocally, link them to services (their right under law) and help them to obtain safety. It is imperative we consider the impact SB 9 and similar laws have on the work we do and the victims we serve.