Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence: 1 in 4 women will be victims; 65% of victims will keep it hidden from others; 3 out of 4 people will know someone who is a victim even if they aren’t aware of it; 3 women a day are killed by a former or intimate partner; 10 women a week commit suicide due to problems that arise from domestic violence related issues; 1 in 12 women will be stalked in their lifetime by a former or intimate partner, for an average duration of almost two years, 80% of women who are stalked by former husbands are physically assaulted by that partner and 30% are sexually assaulted by that partner, Victims may experience psychological trauma, financial hardship and even death; 76% of female homicide victims were stalked prior to their death…. 

If someone is reaching out grab a hold of them you may be the lifeline they need. Even if they aren’t offer them a lifeline it may be their only way out.

We All Have Closets

3307642698_5465421504 I named this category out of respect for Ash Beckham and her performance at Tedx Boulder. After listening to her monologue, four times in a row, I realized that although I had been living in my own closet.  My “closet” was that we were living in an abusive home and I felt to stupid and embarrassed to tell anyone.   I finally escaped that closet only to trade it for another. So within this series you will read my about my “Closet” and I think I will leave it at that for now and close with my two favorite quotes from the piece:

“Inside in the dark you can’t tell what color the walls are, you just know what it feels like to live in a closet.”

“At some point in our lives we all live in closets and they may feel safe, or at least safe than what lies on the other side of the door, but I am here to tell you that no matter what your walls are made of a closet is no place to live.”

I would recommend that everyone take the time to listen to this video:
http://www.upworthy.com/a-4-year-old-girl-asked-a-lesbian-if-shes-a-boy-she-responded-the-awesomest-way-possible?c=gt1