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The Texas PINK OUT kicked off to a rousing start yesterday!  Check out how the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center participated in this statewide (and beyond) effort to affirm that “People Are People” and discourage homophobia and gender stereotyping.
(Oh, yes…if you don’t blink, you’ll see some TAASA staff doing the PINK OUT.)

 I’d love to see (if you’ve got some photos) and hear (videos, maybe?) how you and/or your organization are participating in the Texas PINK OUT. (Send them to me at lhunter@taasa.org). Do you think the effort will make a positive difference?  Or perhaps you see it as “okay, gets some attention, but won’t really change much”? 

After I hear from you, I think I’ll have to say a bit about how it’s made me think more than I maybe wanted to!

On more than one occasion TAASA has received feedback that our social change/social justice focus is part of the “left-wing liberal agenda” and trust me when I say this was not meant as a compliment.  I am generally not stung by criticism and realize it’s impossible to be all things to all people, but this somehow has an uglier edge to it. Don’t get me wrong. I have been called far worse names than “liberal” in my lifetime, but it’s the intention of the label that I find most disturbing.  It’s both insulting and inaccurate for liberals and conservatives alike, as well as the majority of us who identify somewhere in the middle of this political spectrum.

As citizens we all have a responsibility to confront injustice where we see it. This is not a “liberal” issue. This is our obligation as decent human beings. This is not the work of one segment of society. We are all negatively impacted by social ills such as sexual violence, racism, poverty and the list goes on. Many social scientists, activists, educators, researchers and just plain folks with common sense and common experiences have come to the conclusion that many of these issues are linked in both simple and complex ways. 

Wanting to change our society for the better is a value that seems to be shared by virtually all political parties in our country. Granted we may not all agree on the scope of the issues or with the remedies to our problems, but make no mistake, giving a damn is not restricted to left-wing liberals. I believe moderates and conservatives may take issue with the assumption that only liberals promote social change and work to right injustices.

It is my desire that we can all stop using labels as both a weapon and an excuse for inaction. There is too much work to be done for us to be negative or complacent for the weakest of reasons: it wasn’t my idea  or you are using words that are sounding too much like the other guys. I would hope we could see where we share a common vision and truly listen and learn from one another. Labeling folks tends to shut down communication, not foster it. I for one do not intend to let others define me or the work.

 I would argue that we may be allowing a very small, self-selected group of individuals who are living on the extreme fringes decide what the real issues are and then demonize those of us who do or say anything that challenges their version of reality. I do not believe that common sense, decency,  compassion, and cooperation are dead, but they certainly seem to be on life support at times. Let’s stop working so hard to magnify our differences and being paranoid over the intentions of others and realize this work is too important to leave anyone out, silence one voice, or reject the contributions of others. Social change/social justice should indeed be part of the left-wing liberal agenda and on everyone else’s agenda as well.

 

Texas advocates examined the repercussions of Arizona’s SB 1070 on victim advocacy at TAASA’s (Texas Association Against Sexual Assault) Diversity Task Force meeting in May.  Isaac Harrington, VAWA attorney with Texas Civil Rights Project, and Laura Zárate, co-founder and executive director of Arte Sana, discussed the implications of this law on victims based on their personal and professional experiences.

Advocates explored the complications for both victims and service providers through the following key points:

1. Victim rights as human rights
2. Gap of services to immigrant populations
3. Increased  isolation and fear within the immigrant populations
4. Anonymization of crime against immigrant populations
5. Concern regarding “moving, concealing, harboring aliens “– as stated in section 13-2929 of the statute
6. Action Steps for Advocates (Created by ALAS, an online group of Latina advocates from across the country)

The topic of immigration is highly political, personal and polarizing.   The need for proactive discussion is crucial and the challenge before us is clear.  Is it possible to set aside political and personal beliefs to carefully examine the impact of this type of law on victims? The essence of advocacy is to support and promote the interests of another.  Several states are considering similar measures including Texas.  Are we as advocates prepared to assert our concerns about this type of law to elected officials and the community at large? The immigration policy debate rarely considers immigrant victims of crime. During the last Diversity Task Force meeting advocates from across the state of Texas vowed to defend and advocate on behalf of those victims.  Mother Teresa once said, “Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.”

Thanks to the passion and foresight of victim advocates, proactive discussions on this highly charged topic are alive and well in Texas.   The upcoming legislative session promises to provoke and engage all sides of the issue.  Where do you stand?

I just ran across this article in the Intelligence Report, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, that tells the story of children rejecting the hate that their parents espouse. As we think about our primary prevention efforts across the state, we can be encouraged by the bravery and sense of justice these children choose to portray in spite of their parents, and we can learn an important lesson about the need for comprehensive efforts that work to change attitudes across entire communities, not just within individuals.

“Overall, there’s not a lot of evidence that, at least in the long term, kids get their prejudice from their parents,” said Charles Stangor, who runs the Laboratory for the Study of Social Stereotyping and Prejudice at the University of Maryland. “I would call it more of a community effect than a parental effect. The community fosters tolerance or prejudice.”

We must remember that working with parents is only a part of the answer, but alone will not make the kind of lasting change we all hope for to end sexual violence. It really does take a village to raise a child, and it takes a village based on equity and justice, where violence of any kind is not a solution, but rather is condemned, to raise a child who can reject hate and prejudice taught at home to become leaders for positive social change.

What can we do, you and I, to build communities that raise peaceful, kind and courageous children?

I am in the process of switching duplex units (upgrading). I called the utility company to have both units in my name for a week to progressively move my items. I was informed that I needed to physically present myself, a copy of the lease and a valid photo I.D. in order to get the services.  This is a new policy that went into effect August  2009. I think it is ludicrous!

Is the purpose of the new policy to reduce identity theft as I was told or is it as I suspect – a back door attempt to further marginalize certain communities? Whatever the intention of the policy change, the impact will mostly affect disadvantaged communities. Not to mention the implications of this new policy on victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. I would love to hear your thoughts. Sound off!

The arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates by Cambridge Police Sgt. Crowley sparked a national debate on race relations when Gates accused Crowley of racism. The tension surrounding the discussion is mounting. During a routine weekly visit, my brother inquired about my thoughts on “Gates vs. Crowley.” The discussion quickly disintegrated into a shouting match reminiscent of our “Longhorns vs. Aggies” arguments during Thanksgiving. Both of us received fragments of information from news sound bites, hardly a comprehensive approach to obtaining information. My interpretation of the facts was contrary to his. All the diversity training in the world could not restrain our knee-jerk reactions. Even President Obama, most often characterized as deliberating and thoughtful, was caught in the firestorm when he uttered a statement he later acknowledged as “unfortunate” and a teachable moment.

My brother and I finally agreed to disagree, neither conceding to each other’s point of view and no closer to understanding the root of the problem. A meeting over beers is scheduled for Professor Gates, Sgt. Crowley and President Obama this week. Is alcohol diplomacy enough to quell the deep-seated emotional debate? What exactly is the teachable moment? Will the painful truths finally get addressed? Or will this teachable moment merely pass unsettled?

Today is day four of Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings. Throughout the hearings, critics have continued to characterize Sotomayor’s background and personal experience as an impediment to impartial rulings.

On Monday, Dr. Tom Coburn, Senator from Oklahoma, released a statement on Sotomayor: “The American people need judges who will interpret the Constitution, not rewrite it based on ideology or personal opinion.” As you probably know, her opponents have repeatedly accused Sotomayor of racism for discussing the way identity shapes judicial decisions. Coburn’s statement stresses the importance of objectivity and fairness and demonstrate his fear that Sotomayor’s life experiences (i.e., her gender and ethnicity) will negatively affect her decisions as a Supreme Court judge.

In 2006, amid Judge Samuel Alito’s Supreme Court nomination hearings, Coburn seemed to think that Alito’s personal experience and background served to benefit the court, rather than limit his ability to serve. Take a look at the video.

An excerpt from the exchange:

COBURN: I think at times during these hearings you have been unfairly criticized or characterized as that you don’t care about the less fortunate, you don’t care about the little guy, you don’t care about the weak or the innocent. Can you comment just about Sam Alito, and what he cares about, and let us see a little bit of your heart and what’s important to you in life?

ALITO: Senator, I tried to in my opening statement, I tried to provide a little picture of who I am as a human being and how my background and my experiences have shaped me and brought me to this point… when a case comes before me involving, let’s say, someone who is an immigrant — and we get an awful lot of immigration cases and naturalization cases — I can’t help but think of my own ancestors, because it wasn’t that long ago when they were in that position. [Emphasis mine.]

I have expressed my disdain about the accusation of racism against the first Latina woman to be nominated as a Supreme Court justice previously. It is not my intention to attack Dr. Coburn, but to underscore the condescending overtones of the hearings. Dr. Coburn’s (and others’) words and sentiments speak for themselves and I believe offer confirmation that many of the attacks against Sotomayor are unfair. When Alito expressed his unique outlook due to his personal history, Coburn approved, but Sotomayor’s personal experiences are a liability. What’s the difference? What are your thoughts on the hearings? Are gender and race an issue in the way Sotomayor is being treated?