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June 18, 2019 | Deeds Digest No. 144
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Hello #Changemakers!
Last weekend, the final step occurred in the Texas Legislature's 2019 session – the governor's veto period officially ended – and hundreds of bills became law. As we looked over the landscape of all that our #Changemakers achieved – all that had become law because of their work – we were in awe.
Together, our #Changemakers from chapters across the state were an integral part of passing 13 pieces of legislation into law. Those laws range from greater safety for young women and men on our college campuses, educational supports for our teachers and administrators in public schools who need resources to help young people suffering from sexual trauma, a longer statute of limitation to prosecute sexual assaults, an audit of our rape-kit backlog and record-level funding to cure the back-log, better prevention of and response to sex trafficking and so much more.
Our #Changemakers provided over 80 testimonies on over 30 bills and were instrumental in helping legislators to see the human consequences of their decisions. Using the power of their personal narratives, these #Changemakers shaped understanding and outcomes.
I know that the problems we confront today in realizing gender equity and all the issues that intersect with that goal can feel impossibly large. But please know, my young Changemaker friends, that nothing is too big for your talents and your passions to successfully confront. And when you do decide to step forward and use your voice to promote change, we'll be here for you, cheering you all the way to the finish line.
Much love,
-wendy
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Howdy Changemakers!
Our weekend was powerful, as we shared space with our Movement Mujeres fellows for our second gathering that took place in Dallas, TX. Movement Mujeres seeks to create the leadership pipeline necessary to transform Texas and provide women of color with the necessary tools to run for office or become directors in their fields. This gathering focused on what it means to be progressive. From talking about the values that center us in our work and in our daily lives, to hearing from our panel of progressive women of color in positions of power. Our partners in movement, the Afiya Center, gave an absolutely life-changing abortion teach in, where Emma Robinson discussed the intersections of reproductive justice and progressive issues such as immigration, the environment, and criminal justice. The Afiya center always calls it like it is and did a beautiful job of addressing the underlying problems around repro-rights. To close out our weekend, our Fellows had the opportunity to use their identified values to craft their own stories of self through testimony that they can now apply when speaking to policy making bodies at the local, state and federal level. Denise Hernandez [Fellow] summed up her experience by saying: “I felt wholly seen and safe for the first time in a while. I have always had a challenging time in relationships with powerful women. Mirrors can be difficult to look into. But I let myself open up, form friendships, and be my most authentic self.“
We see you. We hear you. We love you.
Later Changemaker,
Andrea Reyes
Policy and Advocacy Coordinator
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A 25 year-old woman tried to get an abortion at 21 weeks in Arkansas. Her experience highlights how the barriers to accessing abortion care can have dire consequences to the physical and mental health of a woman trying to have an abortion in an anti-abortion state.
Here's more of what has us fired up ...
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TEN TIPS FOR PRIDE: LGBTQIA+ Ally Edition
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Respect people by using preferred pronouns, even when they’re not in the room!
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Speak out on social media - Retweet or repost pride posts on your Instagram story.
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Don’t be afraid to ask questions to your queer friends, as long as you’re respectful.
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Remember that being an ally means being an ally to all – POC, transgender people, etc.
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Donate to organizations improving the lives of LGBTQ+ people (The Trevor Project, Out Youth, Allgo, and Equality Texas).
- Watch the Gay Rat Wedding
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Engage with queer artists (Janelle Monae, Sam Smith, Hayley Kiyoko, etc.) and support media representation of queer folx (Love, Simon, Orange is the New Black, The Fosters, Queer Eye, etc.)!
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Educate Yourself. Both the Human Right Campaign and the ACLU track pro- and anti-LGBTQ+ policy in Texas and across the country. Find out about legislation in your area and contact your representatives to voice your values!
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Offensive jokes regarding LGBTQIA+ are never okay. Correct the people around you if they make an inappropriate joke.
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Believe that all people, regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation, should be treated with dignity and respect. Take the time to confront your own bias, even if it makes you uncomfortable.
XOXO,
Tasnim, Janae, and Izzie
Deeds' Summer Interns
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This Week's #Changemaker:
UTRGV Campus Organizer Leo Mendoza
Hi! I’m Leo, I’m an 18 year old #Changemaker from the Rio Grande Valley. I’m a junior at UTRGV and majoring in psychology with a minor in American Sign Language and Interpreting.
What are you currently working on to make change in your community?
Recently my chapter and I completed our capstone project, Adios con el Machismo; An insight into toxic masculinity in a Mexican-American community and how it affects women living in the area. With this latest project, we educated both men and women at our university on Machismo, an aggressive sense of masculine pride and self-entitlement to dominance, and what resources they have if they’ve ever experienced it. Through this project the women in the audience felt safe in sharing their own experiences and felt connected with one another, as well as learning of the resources there are in The Valley.
What advice would you give to others who are looking to make a difference, but don't know where to start?
My biggest piece of advice to anyone wanting to make a difference is to get involved in your local community first. If you see an issue that you wish to address and make an impact on, there are high chances that there are other people in your community that are looking to do the same thing. Be vocal about your activism and others will flock to you. Not to mention, it’s a great way to network and get involved in other organizations outside of your area. I got involved with Deeds by first getting involved with a local women’s shelter which then led me to getting involved with Break The Cycle, which in turn led me to Deeds.
What's are you biggest hopes/dreams for the future?
LGBTQ+ issues are something that I am the most passionate about. In the near future I hope to get involved with organizations that fight for LGBTQ+ rights. My dream is to come home to my small town of Brownsville, Tx and not fear holding my boyfriend’s hand or fear for our safety. I hope to create a less hostile space for our LGBTQ+ youth in the Rio Grande Valley. I hope that I am a part of that change.
–Leonardo Mendoza, Changemaker
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