Help disarm abusers this Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Tell Your U.S. Senators: Reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.
Content notice: This message contains discussion of domestic violence. If you or someone you know is being mistreated or hurt by a partner, reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline available 24/7 by calling 1-800-799-7233 or if you're unable to speak safely, you can chat online at thehotline.org.
John—
For years, I went to bed not knowing if I would live to see the next day, or if that next day would be my last. My abuser had guns everywhere; in the car, even on the dining table like a centerpiece.
Every time I saw one of my abuser's firearms, it was a constant reminder he could kill me at any moment, and my sons would be left without a mother. No one should have to endure the abuse that I did.
As a Latina in the U.S., my story is far too common. Approximately one in three Latinas have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime. And several factors—such as fear of deportation, language barriers, and cultural stigma—discourage many Latinx victims from reporting abuse, seeking help, or filing for a protective order.
John, as we commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Latinx Heritage Month, take action to honor the victims and survivors of this crisis. Tell your U.S. Senators: Disarm domestic abusers NOW.
The intersection of domestic violence and gun violence claims hundreds of lives every year in the United States. Women in the U.S. are 21 times more likely to die by firearm homicide than women in other high-income countries, with Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Hispanic women experiencing even higher rates of violence.
It does not have to be this way. Our lawmakers to need to hear from us NOW: Tell your U.S. senators to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act and disarm domestic abusers >>
At the hands of my abuser, I endured constant physical and emotional abuse and unrelenting verbal attacks against me and my children. He wanted to silence me.
Now, I refuse to be silent. I speak out for victims and survivors like me and fight for change. I make sure flowers are the only centerpiece on my dining table.
Thank you for taking action.
Giovanna Rodriguez
Everytown Survivor Network
P.S. Read and share the stories of other survivors of domestic violence and gun violence at Moments That Survive.
