https://www.nsvrc.org/blogs/pcarnsvrc-reveal-new-name
Jul 10, 2023
Respect Together, our new name, was identified and embraced following an extensive rebranding process that engaged the voices and insights of many of our state and national partners. The name, paired with our new tagline “United to end sexual abuse, assault, and harassment”, reflects our commitment to work together with a wide array of partners and allies – in Pennsylvania and across the United States – to disrupt the driving forces behind sexual violence to create and uphold safe, equitable communities with a culture of respect for all people.
Respect Together unites all elements of our
https://www.nsvrc.org/blogs/saam/helping-deaf-survivors
May 17, 2023
The Deaf community exists subtly. They don’t look or act differently, but they do communicate with a completely different language than most hearing Americans are used to. American Sign Language (ASL) was developed in the 1800’s and has made many strides in allowing the Deaf to communicate. It is recognized as a complete language used by hundreds of thousands of people in the United States. This language has opened so many doors for the Deaf, but too many remain closed because of the lack of accessibility in the hearing world.
It is estimated that about 50% of the Deaf community has
https://www.nsvrc.org/blogs/saam/role-culture-domestic-violence-caribbean
Apr 26, 2023
Intro: No matter one’s country, ethnicity, race, class, gender identity, ability, health, socio-economic status, religion, or education level, domestic violence affects everyone. Yet, as we explore the issue of activists living in the midst of the very injustices they work against, it’s important to remember the cultural components that surround the work. Domestic violence doesn’t just happen to individuals…it occurs across and within communities. When children are raised in their community, their likelihood of seeing, hearing about, or experiencing domestic violence increases given the
https://www.nsvrc.org/blogs/saam/survivors-sexual-violence-developmental-disabilities-lgbtq-and-transgender-communities
Apr 26, 2023
How can bias and discrimination impact survivors with developmental disabilities (DD) within the LGBTQIA+ community?
Survivors with DD within the LGBTQIA+ community often experience bias and discrimination which impacts their access to services. Too often, people do not understand or personally know individuals with disabilities or who are LGBTQIA+.
Below are some of the ways bias and discrimination plays a role in this issue or impacts survivors of sexual violence:
There is a lack of sexuality education among this population which can increase their risk of being sexually violated
The lack
https://www.nsvrc.org/blogs/saam/domestic-violence-advocacy-and-how-live-purposeful-life
Apr 25, 2023
In 2004, Marsheida Dorsey-Carn was murdered by her 18-year-old boyfriend. After serving almost 12 years in prison, that same man murdered a second victim, LaPorscha Baldwin, in a fatal act of domestic violence. Through this horrendous tragedy, we came to learn about the impactful work of Dr. Purposed Carn (Marsheida’s step-mother) as well as the work of her husband Pastor Micheal Carn (Marsheida’s father). Together, they created their own respective outreach organizations, D’Vine Destiny and Fathers of Murdered Offsprings in Houston, Texas. We reached out to Dr. Purposed Carn after learning
https://www.nsvrc.org/blogs/saam/trans-activists-visibility-violence
Apr 25, 2023
“I would have rather been punished for asserting myself than become another victim of hatred” - CeCe McDonald
In June 2012, CeCe McDonald, a Black trans woman, accepted a plea bargain for second-degree manslaughter for defending herself against a man who verbally and physically assaulted her and her friends outside a Minneapolis bar. FREE CeCe, a documentary by Laverne Cox and Jac Gares, tells McDonald’s story as contextualized within the epidemic of violence experienced by Black and brown trans women.
McDonald was fully aware of the possibility of death had she chosen not to defend herself,
https://www.nsvrc.org/blogs/saam/fatphobia-movement-amy-turner
Apr 21, 2023
I’m writing this at the time when the “New Year, New Me” wind is starting to circulate. The shame of “holiday eating”, the sugar demon, and jokes about elastic waists begin to build their momentum for the year. There will be sign up for bootcamps, restrictive diets, detoxes, and teas that make you sprint to the bathroom. And by the time you read this, you’ll be hearing whispers about a “beach body” or getting “bikini ready”, like it is somehow necessary to prepare to face our biggest nemesis, a body of water.
We all know that the movement to end sexual violence has been taken over by mostly
https://www.nsvrc.org/blogs/saam/who-watches-watchers-domestic-violence-and-law-enforcement-leigh-goodmark
Apr 21, 2023
The average messaging of most anti-violence organizations include some variation on the following: “If you are in immediate danger, call 911.” Embedded in directing a victim of violence to call 911 is a key assumption—that law enforcement will make that person safer. But the headlines regularly feature stories of law enforcement officers accused of abuse: of their own partners, the victims they’re supposed to be helping, and incarcerated survivors of violence.
On December 29, 2022 in Florida, Cocoa police officer Patrick Kelly was charged with aggravated assault after threatening
https://www.nsvrc.org/blogs/saam/saam-2023-guest-blog-series
Apr 21, 2023
Overview:
Advocates working in the violence prevention field wear many hats. More recently, we have become hyper-aware of the compounding impact that working in sexual and gendered violence prevention has on those in the field- many of whom are survivors themselves. Many still struggle with trauma, are triggered by what they are exposed to in their work, or entered the field due to a personal experience or tragic event. Over the years, we have seen many workers within sexual/gendered violence prevention privately face harm in or even lose their lives to the very form of violence which they
https://www.nsvrc.org/blogs/autism-acceptance-month
Apr 19, 2023
April is Autism Acceptance Month. It is important to listen and learn from autistic people’s lived experiences. There are many ways we can support the autism community not just this month, but every month. We should learn from and uplift autistic voices, especially autistic people who are racial or ethnic minorities, are non-speaking, or who have higher support needs or comorbid disabilities.
For more information, check out the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a great resource for general information based out of Washington DC.
Here are some additional recommended reading if
