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November 10, 2017 | Deeds Digest No. 77
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Hello, #ChangeMakers!
I'm inspired and energized this week by the outcome of our well-channeled righteous anger, and I hope you are too! Though, as Lindy West reminds us in her article that we've highlighted below, "female anger is [often] received and weaponized against women," we are seeing the productive outcomes that our justified anger can produce.
First, the cascade of sexual assault grievances and the long overdue consequences that they are bringing about provide encouragement for coming forward and speaking our truths. So many of these stories have been an example of women (and men!) quite literally, speaking truth to power, and I believe the courage of those who have stepped forward to share their experiences will inspire others to do the same. Likewise, I hope the public shaming and real world consequences to sexual harassers and assaulters that are following these revelations will help abate future bad actors.
Second, as we arrive upon one the one year anniversary of what it has meant to have a confessed sexual assaulter occupying the highest office in the land, I find myself more encouraged than ever about the collective activism that each of you has engaged in. You are stepping up, putting Deeds behind your Words each and every single day and in every area of the country, and you are proving that you care more about the cause of justice and equality than you do about drawing possible criticism for stepping forward.
Third, the electoral outcomes this week demonstrated that an extraordinary number of women participated in dictating those outcomes. These are women, like you, who are voting their values -- about healthcare, gun safety and an equitable and just world. And guess, what? Your voices at the ballot box (Deeds!!) are winning the day!
So keep up that well-founded anger, you amazing #Changemakers, you! Channeling it productively, as you are, is working to create the world you want to see. And read on, below, about some important ways you can keep up the momentum.
Much love,
-wendy
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This week’s #ChangeMaker: Danica Roem
The local elections this week carried the weight of the future as the world watched to see whether this past year's tide of close-minded bigotry would continue, or whether the resistance could stand it’s ground. As the results came in, we witnessed the changing of that tide with multiple marginalized communities finally securing success. We applaud all the campaigners, grassroots activists, and politicians taking a stand this year; you are making history! Especially this week’s #ChangeMaker: Danica Roem, the first openly transgender person to be elected to a state legislature and an all around passionate, brave and inspiring soul. Danica embraces the values of equality, respect and inclusion that we at Deeds Not Words strive to promote. Congrats to Danica and the Virginia voters who exercised their right to vote!
Danica Roem campaigned on local issues her constituents cared about, from improving local highways to supporting equal rights for all in her life-long home of Manassas, Virginia. She is replacing Bob Marshall who ended his 13 terms introducing the bathroom bill in the Virginia legislature this year (ummm Boy, Bai 👋 ). As a seasoned journalist, part of Danica's job centered around holding politicians accountable, so we expect great things from her. Her win is not just a political victory, but a step forward for society and a glimpse at what the future will look like. Danica, we support you and the legacy of hope you are creating!
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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Paid leave is about more than the ability to stay home if you are sick. New York City recognizes this, and is the first city to grant paid leave to victims of domestic abuse and sex trafficking. In some cases, paid days off mean the ability to leave an abusive relationship without the risk of losing your job. In other cases, paid time off means the ability to stay home and care for a sick loved one - which is especially important if you're the primary breadwinner in your family, as so many women are. Here in Deeds Not Words' hometown of Austin, we're helping to push for paid sick leave as a first step in this integral movement for women's and workers' rights, alongside other members of the Work Strong Austin coalition. Join the effort, and learn how you can fight for paid leave in your city!
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This week in Cosmo, our founder Wendy Davis reminds us that "women are uniquely vulnerable to and disproportionately the victims of gun violence." That makes gun safety a feminist issue. Luckily, while women bear the brunt of the gun violence, we're also at the front-lines of pushing for a solution. Candidates backed by Moms Demand Action and Gabby Giffords' Americans for Responsible Solutions are ousting former office-holders who care more about $ from the NRA than they do about keeping Americans safe. Learn what you can DO to join this feminist fight below!
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We're fired up this Friday, and we're not afraid to show it. If you've been seething at the onslaught of women's rights abuses that have become commonplace in our daily lives: you're not alone. "Not only are women expected to endure sexual violence, intimate partner violence, workplace discrimination, institutional subordination, the expectation of free domestic labor, the blame for our own victimization, and all the subtler, invisible cuts that undermine us daily, we are not even allowed to be angry about it." But you know what, #ChangeMaker? As Lindy West says, it's time we all become brave enough to be angry. If feminism is the "collective manifestation of female anger" she urges, then it's about time we channel that anger into change! We hope you'll read Lindy's article and that it fires you up as much as it does us! 🔥 🔥 🔥
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So how do we channel that anger? We already are - and it starts, in fact, by reading this very newsletter. Though many of us were, to say the least, unhappy, with the results of the last presidential election and the volumes it spoke about the value and treatment of women, our founder saw in our collective response "a clamoring to learn about civic engagement unlike anything [she'd] seen." As she says in this week's Teen Vogue, people are taking that knowledge and bringing it to the streets, the ballot box and even some of the highest offices in our country. But we're not done yet! Forward this newsletter to a friend to help us grow the movement through #DeedsNotWords! "Women aren’t just “talking the talk” anymore, they are stepping up and taking action." -Wendy Davis
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While women are making great strides in elected offices and boardrooms across the country, our work is still cut out for us as we move toward truly equal electoral representation. And that's not a fight everyone wants us to win: “It’s not accidental that in the year 2017, still 75 percent of the people who hold office in this country are men," and our founder reminds us: “It’s very purposeful.” Besides running, what can we do to help pave the way for one another in the future? Call out instances of sexism in politics, the media and elsewhere, or as Women's Media Center puts it: #NameItChangeIt!
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Taxes. They've always been a pain to figure out... and that pain's going to get a lot worse if the current proposed tax plan goes through.
While the Senate and House proposed plans differ, both would most directly benefit wealthy Americans and larger corporations, and guess who they'd most directly harm? You guessed it, WOMEN.
As you call your members of congress to remind them that since you already get paid less for equal work (😑 ) you'd prefer not to be disproportionately affected by taxes in addition to that ... here are some specific proposed changes to the tax plan that you can reference:
- Proposed attack on women: Repealing the employer-provided childcare credit.
- The current proposal would get rid of the employer-provided child care credit, which incentivizes businesses to help provide childcare in exchange for tax credits.
- What this means for you: Less support from your employer to help you balance work and parental responsibilities.
- Proposed attack on women: Reforming the student loan interest deduction and creating a private college endowment tax.
- Those of us paying off student loans can currently file for an interest deduction that can save thousands of dollars (3 out of 10 people paying off student loans file for it), which under the new plan would would only apply in cases of death or total and permanent disability.
- In addition, an endowment tax on private colleges means less money for financial aid.
- Proposed attack on women: Adding a stipulation that allows an “unborn child” to be a “designated beneficiary” for a college savings account.
- This allows parents expecting a child to begin contributing money to a 529 college savings plan.
- What this means for you: Bringing the debate over when life “begins” into the tax realm could have big legal implications in the future fight for a woman's right to choose - and that doesn't help any of us.
While this is plenty of fodder for an informed phone call, unfortunately the list goes on. So read up, get fired up, and dial away! Your bank account will thank you. |
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With shootings in Plano, greater San Antonio and Austin these past few weeks alone, gun violence hits close to home for us here at Deeds Not Words. And with 93 Americans now dying from gun violence every single day, that statement rings true in each and every household across our country. Unfortunately, not all of us are willing to see a pattern or admit that this drastic problem deserves a real solution.
But the facts speak for themselves, and here's a particularly compelling one:
As our founder notes in her Cosmo article above, domestic violence is often a precursor to mass shootings and other acts of gun violence. Luckily, knowledge is power, and we can act on this fact to keep guns out of abusers' hands.
Senator Amy Klobuchar has introduced SB.1539, lifesaving legislation that would close a loophole that enables those with a history of domestic violence to access guns.
Let's make sure the bill passes and let's help to dismantle the culture of violence that breeds such horrific outcomes in the first place:
- Read this story of a woman who lost her friend in the Texas church shooting.
- Sherri has great advice on how both to honor the dead, and value those still with us.
- Share your own story of how gun violence has affected your life in conversations and on social media.
- Statistics show people are less likely to act on an issue that doesn't hit close to home, so let's work on creating a culture of empathy by being vulnerable with those around us.
- Join a local chapter of Moms Demand Action or an event in your community.
- *Note: You don't have to be a mom to join Moms Demand Action in their work! "We are moms, aunts, sisters, grandparents, dads, brothers, uncles, and friends, and we want you to join us on the ground!"
- Text ENOUGH to 64433 and tell your senators to co-sponsor
#SB 1539.
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