Domestic violence IS a crime.
Back in 1882, Maryland made history as the first state to pass a law making it illegal for a man to beat his wife. Yet it took nearly four decades, until 1920, before every state in the country even bothered to write basic legal protections for women.
Then came fifty more years of silence. Only in the early 1970s did the U.S. see the first domestic violence shelters and hotlines. And it’s just been 31 years since Congress finally passed the Violence Against Women Act, securing funding to address an epidemic that’s been ignored for generations. Now, that funding, the lifeline for so many, is under threat from leaders eager to make it disappear.
For almost 150 years, advocates have fought to shine a light on what was once dismissed as a “private matter.” We’ve pushed back against the silence and complacency that allowed violence to flourish behind closed doors. For a century and a half, people have worked to ensure that victims and survivors are heard, believed, and supported when they step forward. For a century and a half, we’ve demanded that abusers face consequences for their actions.
And then, in a matter of seconds, those in power tried to erase all of that, dismissing survivors’ trauma as “much lesser things, things that take place in the home, that they call crime,” or waving it away as “a little fight with the wife.”
Comments that minimize or dismiss abuse are not just careless; they are dangerous. They spread misinformation, excuse harmful behavior, and put survivors at greater risk. Anyone who misuses power often wants to rewrite the story. But the reality is stark:
- Every day, 15,000 calls are made nationwide from victims and survivors seeking help.
- Here at Fearless!, we’re on track to answer over 12,000 hotline calls in 2025, a record for us, and a reminder of just how urgent this fight remains.
- Nationally, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime
We refuse to let those in power silence survivors. We refuse to let anyone erase their stories. We refuse to allow anyone to rewrite a narrative that benefits abusers and those who protect them.
At Fearless!, we will stand with survivors everywhere their voices need to be heard. We will witness. We will amplify. We will never be silent. We will keep speaking truth to power. Most importantly, we will never go back or accept this rhetoric, ever. Everyone has a fundamental right to be safe, free from violence and abuse of any kind, especially within their home.
