In support of communities responding to violence

A note on the Richmond sexual assault & Matthew Shepard Act

Dear Friend,

Unfortunately, we never lack reminders of how urgent this work is. We were deeply saddened and outraged to hear of the recent sexual assault against a young woman in Richmond, and stand in solidarity with all those organizing for healing and change in the wake of such a painful incident. We encourage anyone who has been impacted by sexual violence to contact San Francisco Women Against Rape by calling their 24-hour crisis line at (415) 647-7273. You are not alone!

Yet another reminder of the urgent need for community-based responses to violence was the passing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act at the end of October. The act expands federal hate crimes law to include gender identity and sexual orientation, gives federal authorities greater ability to engage in local hate crimes investigations, allocates additional funds for local hate crime investigation and prosecution, and requires FBI tracking of anti-transgender hate crime statistics. We are grateful for both federal recognition that anti-LGBTQQ violence is a devastating reality, as well as for the years of tireless advocacy of countless LGBTQQ organizations and victims' families to achieve this recognition.

We are also keenly aware of the painful compromises in this legislation. As we have seen over the past three decades of anti-violence efforts, criminal legal-driven responses to violence do not effectively address the needs of survivors, people who have been violent, or communities affected. Despite the fact that we often have few other options, these responses often leave survivors and our families as well as people who have been violent further traumatized, and compound the conditions that support violence in the first place: hatred, isolation, lack of economic opportunity, oppression, and trauma. Additionally, we have seen repeatedly throughout history that the expanded reach of federal and local law enforcement consistently leads to increased targeting and profiling of poor people, people of color, immigrants, and gender non-conforming people. Lastly, given our commitment to opposing all forms of violence including war, the inclusion of this legislation in Defense Authorization Bill symbolizes a painful cooptation of LGBTQQ lives to support military aggression both within and outside of U.S. borders. For these reasons and others, we know that the passing of this bill is not a clean victory for the majority of LGBTQQ people struggling with poverty, policing, and abuse, but rather a reality check of just how far we still have to go.

Luckily, we are not starting from scratch. Our communities are resilient and our movements are visionary. With your help, we are building the power of queer and trans people to create solutions to violence that really work, solutions like stronger relationships, community accountability models, skills to prevent abuse, and opportunities to heal. Together, we can create safety where there has been harm, and healing where there has been loss.

With hope and gratitude,
The CUAV Team (Carolina, Morgan, Pablo, Shawna, Stacy, and Tamara)