Hello dear readers, it’s me, your long dormant afightback blog lady. I have spent the day applying for Congressional appropriations to kickstart Pathways to Safety International‘s hotline for Americans sexually assaulted or abused abroad, and it got me thinking – I should write about this past week in D.C. So, here we are.
Several weeks ago, I was notified by RAINN that I was invited to participate in their Day of Action on the Hill during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This would involve me participating in meetings with various House and Senate staff along with other survivors in order to put faces and stories with the legislation victims need approved. You don’t have to ask me twice. I had the flight before my head hit the pillow that night. And my mind was snapping with possibility.
I had always told Paula Lucas, our executive director at Pathways, that if I get the chance to go to D.C. to speak with Congress members, I’m. So. There. And I’d take advantage of the opportunity to shake the trees specifically for Pathways and the population we serve. Paula and I got to work on arranging meetings. And in a matter of days, I had Representative Dina Titus, chair of the Americans Abroad Caucus confirmed, and – wait for it …..the White House Gender Policy Council!!!!!!!
In the year of our Lord, 2024, Americans assaulted overseas like I was, remain ignored and forgotten amidst a sea of funding grants and organizations serving victims. It has been an inexplicable and painful oversight. And fighting to be heard from 2017-2020 as funding was withheld, the government shutdown, and the pandemic raged, burned me all the way out.
But your girl is back (arm flex emoji). I dusted off my never-worn Banana Republic suit, cleaned my cheetah print pumps, and ordered some hot pink comfort shoes to prepare for my two days on the Hill. The rest is still somewhat dreamy, and I’ll share it very soon. But for now, please admire my suit, those shoes, and the badass bag my bestie gave me shortly before my trip.
A Fight Back Woman 