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July 14, 2017 | Deeds Digest No. 60
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Hello #ChangeMakers!
This week's Digest includes some important information that I hope you'll take a look at in our "Read" section and in our "View" section specific to an issue that our young #ChangeMakers advocates have worked hard on here at Deeds Not Words: Sexual Assault.
Many of you may know already that an important review is taking place at the national level, specifically by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, about whether protections for sexual assault survivors instituted by President Obama's administration should continue to stand. Already, survivors are communicating their fears that they will once again be forced back into the shadows. And, as though intended to confirm those very fears, Candice Jackson who heads up the civil rights office for Secretary DeVos said this about the sexual assault reports her office is considering: “the accusations — 90 percent of them — fall into the category of 'we were both drunk,' 'we broke up, and six months later I found myself under a Title IX investigation because she just decided that our last sleeping together was not quite right." 😤 😤
This characterization of the experiences of sexual assault survivors is worse than just tone-deaf, it is a dangerous perspective coming from the person tasked with protecting the rights of those very survivors. And it indicates that an office responsible for making our college campuses a safe place for everyone to learn and thrive is possibly set to unwind the very protections that will make that possible.
So, my amazing #ChangeMakers, this week's "DO" is an incredibly important one. YOUR VOICE is desperately needed to reach out to your members of Congress and Secretary DeVos' office to let them know that survivors matter, their stories matter, they should be believed and their safety should be restored.
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At the very least, please sign the petition from American Association of University Women that we've linked to below.
I know you are up to the challenge, #ChangeMakers!
Much love,
-wendy
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This week’s #ChangeMaker: 114 Teen Vogue Op-Ed Signatories
In a country where 1 in 4 women are sexually assaulted on college campuses, protections and representation for those who have endured this tragedy is essential. In a country where day-to-day the already limited protections of Title IX appear to be at risk, the time to speak up is now. This week we honor the 114 survivors of sexual assault and true #ChangeMakers for their brave and resounding voices in an open letter to Betsy DeVos in Teen Vogue.
“Today, we 114 survivors of sexual assault ask education secretary Betsy DeVos: Exactly who are you here to serve? For us, this is personal, and traumatizing. From the moment we were raped or assaulted, the question of who protects us has haunted us all.” Today we join these Changemakers in solidarity to ask DeVos that very question. Who are you here to serve? Although it may appear Betsy may lend an ear to the accused more than the victims, we stand in solidarity with the bravery, resilience and passion of these survivors and advocates who are making change and inspiring us all. We are with you and will continue to make sure your message is heard.
Know a hero making a difference in their community? Send us a picture of someone you’d like to see as #ChangeMaker of the week and share their story. You might just see it in the next Deeds Digest.
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Our girl Emma Stone has a new movie coming up in which she plays Billie Jean King, the badass tennis player who proved women are as good as men in sports by defeating Bobby Riggs. Shout outs to Emma's male co-stars in Battle of the Sexes who took a pay cut in order to equalize their pay with women in the film because "it's what's right and fair." Here at DeedsNotWords, we believe it takes feminist women and feminist men to close the gender pay gap. Three cheers for our male allies out there!
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Like the men who are so committed to equal pay that they are giving back portions of their salary, former VP Joe Biden has long shown that being a feminist doesn’t require being female. Joe Biden has spoken openly about his work on fighting sexual violence and he's confident that "victory" is within our reach. From drafting the Violence Against Women Act in 1994 to working behind the scenes to make the Dear Colleague Letter on fighting campus sexual assault happen, he's been a great ally throughout the years. He believes that it's on us to end sexual assault. We couldn't agree more! It's on all of us. We love you Joe!
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Arkansas is in a weird time-warp... Lawmakers passed a bill that'll require women to have men's permission to get an abortion. Huh, what?!! Is this 1720 or 2017?!! This is so wrong on so many levels. Not only does it make it harder for a woman to get an abortion, but it also gives rapists an equal say in a woman's decision. A victim of rape would be forced to consult her assaulter. UNACCEPTABLE!
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But not everything's lost! Oregon lawmakers passed the Reproductive Health Equity Act, which would protect access to birth control, maternity care, counseling for sexual abuse survivors, and access to safe and legal abortions. The best part is that this bill would protect reproductive care even if Congress repeals the Affordable Care Act and even if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. The political climate around the nation might be discouraging. However, regardless of what happens at the federal level, don't forget how much power we have in the states to protect our right to reproductive care. Thank you Governor Kate Brown and the Oregon legislature for passing this important Act!
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The National Women's Law Center is suing Secretary Betsy DeVos for not releasing campus assault data. Over 20% of female undergrads experience rape or sexual assault and most of these cases are not investigated. "Without these records, survivors, advocates, and families are just left in the dark." Alexandra Brodsky, NWLC Fellow. Watch their video to learn more.
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Do you wonder why people usually blame the victim instead of the perpetrator in sexual assault cases? Francesca Ramsey helps us understand the psychology of victim-blaming and how to stop it. "The reason we blame victims has a lot to do with moral values, human psychology... and grammar? " -FR. Yup! Time to dust off those skills you learned in English 101.
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We're happy to see our girl Kesha healing despite the terrible experiences she's had in the past—including sexual and emotional abuse. In her new song, 'Praying', Kesha articulates what many sexual assault survivors go through: the victim-blaming, the painful memories, the raw loneliness, losing your faith, forgiveness, strength, and finding purpose again. "I'm proud of who I am...no more monsters, I can breathe again..." -Kesha. PREACH!
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A Dear Colleague Letter is a document that lays out a set of administrative guidelines on a particular issue. In 2011, the Dept. of Education and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) sent a Dear Colleague Letter that introduced new regulations to address sexual harassment and sexual violence under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program. According to the letter, sexual violence means physical sexual acts perpetrated against a person’s will or where a person is incapable of giving consent, including rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, and sexual coercion.
- Provides guidance on concerns that arise in sexual violence cases. For example, criminal investigations and a school’s independent responsibility to investigate and address sexual violence
- Provides guidance and examples about key Title IX requirements and how they relate to sexual violence, such as the requirements to publish a policy against sex discrimination, designate a Title IX coordinator, and adopt and publish grievance procedures
- Discusses proactive efforts schools can take to prevent sexual violence
- Provides examples of remedies and enforcement strategies that schools and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) may use to respond to sexual violence.
Once a school knows of possible sexual violence, it MUST take immediate and appropriate action to investigate or otherwise determine what occurred.
Why should I be concerned?
- Without Dear Colleague, many sexual assault cases will once again be disregarded as has so often happened in the past
- Sexual assault survivors' voices will go unheard and they're more likely to suffer academically and from depression, PTSD, abuse alcohol and drugs, and suicide
Scroll down to see what you can do!
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Here are a few actions you can take to prevent sexual violence and support sexual assault survivors:
Call your representatives
- Contact your state representatives to ask them to enforce Dear Colleague protections through state legislation, regardless of any federal rollbacks. Take a look at our "Learn" section for talking points on the Dear Colleague letter's key provisions!
Write an Op-Ed
- Write an Op-Ed, just like our #Changemakers this week, to your university president asking them to uphold Dear Colleague protections even if they are unwound by the U.S. Department of Education! If you're unsure of what to say, you can use this outline.
Share on social media
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any." -Alice Walker
Let's take control of our present and future, you beautiful #Changemakers you!
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