On 15th Anniversary of VAWA, Speak Out Against Domestic Violence

"If things don't change now, it never will. Anyone who speaks up about domestic violence - will be condemned ... Everyone is making excuses and avoiding the fact of what happened, but it's really important to fight back. If no one is standing up for women, then we get tossed under the rug."

This statement comes from reality TV star, Tila Tequila, who is taking a broader stance against domestic violence after an experience with former boyfriend and star linebacker for the NFL's San Diego Chargers, Shawne Merriman, whom she accused of battery and false imprisonment earlier this month.

The San Diego District Attorney's office has already dismissed the case saying that there is "nothing more to pursue" and that Tila's "tweets don't count as evidence."

However, Tila - also known as Tila Nguyen - is pushing back on the court decision, as well as the media's response to the situation, in order to raise awareness about domestic violence and encourage women to continue to speak up about abuse in their lives.

"When it initially happened, so many girls with similar situations started reaching out to me with their stories. But then they see how I got slandered and how the court tossed out the case and they think, ‘If Tila can't do this, then I can't do this.' They are now scared. All the girls who were writing to me about personal experiences with abuse have lost hope," she said.

This controversy comes right in the middle of the 15th Anniversary of the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). President Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation this week saying that "in the 15 years since VAWA became law, our Nation's response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking has strengthened."

While a lot has been done to grant more support to victims of domestic violence in the past 15 years, it is clear that society still has a long way to go in terms of handling this topic in the public spotlight when members of the media, namely Bill Maher, publicize statements like this:

"Stop acting surprised that someone choked Tila Tequila.  The surprise is that someone hasn't choked this bitch sooner."

Furthermore, the SEIU just released a disturbing report that in Washington, DC and nine other states insurance companies can now claim that "history of domestic violence" is a "pre-existing condition" that justifies the rejection of an applicant. Yuck.

On this anniversary of VAWA, I hope that women who are facing domestic violence continue to speak out and that the media makes it easier, not harder, for women who are dealing with abuse to come forward.