I'm talking about lives here

As a crisis worker and a feminist and as a human being in general, I am really getting riled up over this whole "debate" over reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Well, actually, I am really quite happy for the bipartisan support it's received in the Senate. The Senate version is designed to help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and this one even includes provisions for helping LGBTQ survivors, Native women, and undocumented women. How's that for helping some vulnerable groups? I have worked with women who are undocumented, and many of them really fear that they will be deported if they report their abuse. The new VAWA will help them get a visa if their abuser is the primary immigrant. And the LGBTQ provision is also quite needed, as gays and lesbians and trans folks are unfortunately a high-risk group for violent crimes. I am glad that our Senators chose to include them to make this bill super-comprehensive.

In the House, though, is a whole different story and a much uglier one. My dentist is probably going to tell me my bruxism has gotten a million times worse, but how can it not, with all the teeth grinding I've been doing over this issue? The House, which is controlled by Republicans, is really not at all cooperative. They've been trying to block passage of VAWA, and now that they know they're not going to get away with it, they're drafting up a new version of it. One, specifically, that will strip away those provisions to help undocumented women, Native women, and LGBTQ survivors. I mean, what is this?? Preventing violence against women should mean protecting all the women, not just those you deem acceptable! To make matters even scarier, an undocumented survivor would be at risk for having her abuser know that she's applied for a temporary visa. Now how does that help her? That's only going to exacerbate the abuse! And the LGBTQ community is still targeted for hate crimes. Where does that leave a lesbian survivor or a transgender individual needing assistance?

I am really praying this House version of VAWA does not become the one that's up for a vote, as I really don't think it's right that certain individuals' rights and safety become a political football. This reminds me a lot of the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Though I was really happy that so many Americans would get healthcare, I was enraged that it had to codify the oh so odious Hyde Amendment to do so. It felt like a Pyrrhic victory almost, at least for women. Why should our rights to reproductive healthcare be considered acceptable to trade away? Why is it that we have to "wait our turn"? Now, with the House refusing to re-authorize VAWA with its new provisions, it really worries me that re-authorization may come on the backs of groups that are already vulnerable. Haven't survivors from these groups suffered enough? It's bad enough to be discriminated against, as well as being a survivor of abuse. But to be at further risk or with inadequate services available? I can't imagine what that feels like. I can't speak for those groups. I can only speak for me, but I am really hoping this is not the trade-off we must strike.

I'm tired of trading away people's rights in the name of bipartisanship. Like my comment on the Affordable Care Act, these are people's whole lives we are talking about. We can't play games with people's lives. Yes, it's easy to say no federal funds will pay for abortion services...when you're not the low-income woman facing an unwanted or dangerous pregnancy. I'm sure it's also easy to be okay with stripping protections for these survivors as well...when you're not the rape or domestic violence victim with nowhere to go and facing huge discrimination. I really hope (and will be sending my letters and emails!) that the Senate does the right thing and sticks to their own version of the bill. We can't divide the issue and give protections only to those we like. If we truly believe in our country as "the land of the free and home of the brave," we need to understand that freedom has to mean freedom for everyone.