ICYMI: Domestic Violence Advocates Blast J.D. Vance For Saying Women Should Stay In “Violent” Marriages
August 8, 2022
Columbus, OH – J.D. Vance is facing broad condemnation from Ohio women and advocates for arguing that women should stay in “violent” marriages. Given the opportunity to apologize, clarify, or walk it back, Vance instead “doubled down on these comments when he said ‘the point I made was a very simple point and I completely stand by it.’”
Read more below:
Statehouse News Bureau: Ohio advocates for domestic violence victims are taking issue with J.D. Vance
Jo Ingles
August 5, 2022
- Some advocates for survivors of domestic violence are upset with Republican U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance for comments he reportedly made that suggest people in violent marriages shouldn’t get divorced.
- Lydia Strauss, a Columbus woman who has worked with domestic violence survivors for more than two decades, said Vance’s rhetoric is downright dangerous.
- “Vance thinks we should stay in violent marriages, he wants to make abortion illegal nationally, he called rape inconvenient and even compared abortion to slavery,” Strauss said.
- The advocates are reacting to a story first reported by Vice News last week.
- The news outlet reported that, while speaking to a California high school in September, Vance said “This is one of the great tricks that I think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace, which is the idea that like, ‘well, OK, these marriages were fundamentally, you know, they were maybe even violent, but certainly they were unhappy. And so getting rid of them and making it easier for people to shift spouses like they change their underwear, that’s going to make people happier in the long term.’”
- Strauss said the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports one out of every four women and one out of every nine men will experience severe physical violence from their partner. And she said the same organization estimates one out of every 15 children is exposed to domestic violence.
- “Telling women that they should stay in violent marriages is disgusting and dangerous. And if women were to listen to J.D. Vance’s callous advice, it would lead to children seeing more violence in their home,” Strauss said.
- Strauss, along with some Democratic state lawmakers, said Vance has an “anti-woman” agenda.
WFMJ: Local women’s rights activist speaks out against JD Vance’s ‘violent marriages’ comment
Zach Mosca
August 5, 2022
- A local reproductive rights advocate joined a group of female lawmakers and women’s rights advocates to speak out against comments made by Ohio-based U.S. Senate candidate, JD Vance.
- Bek Norman of Warren joined other Ohio women to criticize Vance on his comments made during an interview in September of 2021 in which he allegedly states that women should remain in unhappy marriages to protect their children, even if they are violent.
- The comments were brought to light by online news organization, Vice where Vance can be heard saying the following:
- “This is one of the great tricks that I think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace, which is the idea that like, ‘well, ok, these marriages were fundamentally, you know, they were maybe even violent, but certainly they were unhappy. And so getting rid of them and making it easier for people to shift spouses like they change their underwear, that’s going to make people happier in the long term.”
- Vance has since doubled down on these comments when he said “the point I made was a very simple point and I completely stand by it.”
- Female lawmakers and advocates in Ohio say it’s “inexcusable” that Vance has yet to apologize for these comments or provide more clarification for what he meant by them.
- “If [Vance] wants to act like our U.S. Senator, then I encourage our fellow legislators to to encourage him to be more clear about his statements, and if he’s doubling down on it, then I encourage everybody to condemn those statements because they’re very inappropriate,” said Democratic State Senator, Tina Maharath.
- “I have known women in violent marriages [and] in abusive marriages who felt trapped and helpless, and I’ll tell you what: JD Vance has no clue what’s right for those women who we all know,” Norman said.
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