Drawing: Maria Gallagher and Ana Maria Archila
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| The young women survivors of sexual violence who launched a media wave that made a difference. "Don't look away from me! Look at me and tell me it doesn't matter what happened to me!" Maria Gallagher |
Gallagher and Archila confronted Senator Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, testifying to their personal experience as rape survivors and urging Flake to reconsider voting Brett Kavanaugh to a position on the Supreme Court. Their passionate testimony was recorded and disseminated with what seemed like the speed of light through mainstream and social media, which apparently caused Flake to place a condition on his vote. He voted yes to forwarding the vote to the whole Senate floor on condition of a delay and an FBI investigation of sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh.
This has been a painful week for women survivors of sexual violence as GOP Senators have rushed Trump's Supreme Court nominee through a confirmation process in spite of revelations by several women that Kavanaugh committed sexual assault.
Social media has seen an avalanche of testimonials by women survivors of sexual violence and multitudes have acted in protests across the country against the Kavanaugh nomination and confirmation.
The particular action by Gallagher and Archila was a pivotal moment in the events of September 28th, which I followed closely. This image of Gallagher and Archila in a solidarity embrace has moved me deeply and I derived joy in the drawing of it.
If you are able I urge you to support their work at the Center for Popular Democracy or support sexual violence victims and survivors through any of the reputable programs and resources listed at RAINN, the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network located in Washington, D.C.
Any nomination of a candidate for a lifelong position on the Supreme Court is an extremely serious matter. That Trump and GOP Senate members have been so dismissive of the gravity of the allegations of sexual violence against the nominee has had the effect of an emotional and psychological assault on women, especially on victims and survivors of sexual violence. Programs and resources listed at the RAINN website exist to help.
Here is a link to my drawing and accompanying narrative about Dr. Christina Blasey Ford.