Sunday, October 6, was the one-year anniversary of Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court when hundreds of protesters gathered in D.C. to hold each senator to account for their disastrous vote. Multiple women, including Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez, came forward with claims of sexual assault against Kavanaugh after he was nominated by Trump in July 2018. A year later, after being confirmed to the Court, activists, including many groups representing survivors, are calling for Congress to investigate his alleged misconduct and the flawed nominations process that prevented the fair consideration of these allegations.
People For the American Way joined activists and advocates, including NARAL Pro-Choice America, CPD Action, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and many more, rallying on the Supreme Court steps to make it clear we have not forgotten. Major cases on LGBTQ+ rights and abortion rights are on the Supreme Court docket this session, sparking fear that, as a Supreme Court justice, Kavanaugh will, among other harms, undermine protections for reproductive rights and roll back the clock on the rights of marginalized people. Activists were joined by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MD), who told the rally that she is a survivor of childhood sexual assault, and shared her plans to introduce a resolution calling for an impeachment inquiry into the Supreme Court justice. One of Kavanaugh’s accusers, Julie Swetnick, was also at the rally.
Congresswoman Pressley assured the boisterous crowd Kavanaugh is part of a bigger problem, saying, “Kavanaugh might have that seat for now...but what you, what we are fighting for, is so much bigger than one insecure man blinded by his privilege.”
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PFAW’s executive vice president for policy and program, Marge Baker, inspired the crowd with hope and perseverance, saying:
“We believe the survivors, we needed to hear their story. We’re so grateful, so let’s celebrate all of us here and those across the country who fought this fight and are continuing to fight the fight. Because although Brett Kavanaugh is sitting on the bench, I believe we won. We put Trump and Kavanaugh’s senatorial enablers in a very tough spot! Because 2020 is the year our people will vote the courts.”
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PFAW will always support and believe sexual assault survivors everywhere from all creeds and walks of life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every six women has been the victim of rape or attempted rape. In the same study, an estimated 17.7 million women had been victims of rape as of 1998, and the number could be much higher since victims are often reluctant to report their experiences.