Reunion Online

Men are a vulnerable population, worthy of healing and not just for the purpose of preventing violence against women.

In a very surprising and rare occurrence in a debate about Child Sexual Abuse Prevention trainings on the floor of the Utah State Senate, three male Senators disclosed their personal experiences of sexual abuse and attempted abuse as children. The three men disclosed openly and publicly during a floor debate on bill (HB 286) proposed by Angela Romero of Salt Lake City. The bill would allow public schools to teach children age-appropriate instruction on how to recognize and report abusive acts.

All survivors—women and men, boys and girls—have suffered enough. It's time we spoke openly, intelligently and compassionately about the men who have suffered the trauma of abuse.

A year ago, NO MORE launched a national campaign to end domestic violence and sexual assault. I had the chance to sit down with Joyful Heart’s CEO, Maile Zambuto, and the Creative Director of the NO MORE PSAs, Rachel Howald to get the behind the scenes look at the campaign.

Navigating the land of Oz and staying on the Yellow Brick Road.

If I could have cleansed myself from those negative emotions, I would have done so long ago.

It was middle school. I was playing a game in my head, scrambling letters of words to make other words. I thought of “grape” and all the words I could make using it: ape, pea, are, rap, peg. “What about rape?” I thought to myself. "Is that a word?" I asked my friend’s mom, my ride home that day, and her face immediately turned red. She said to never use it again. It was a “bad word.”

May the force grant you the courage to change the things you can. You will be amazed.