MEDIA ADVISORY: Protect Our Defenders Receives Veterans Organization of the Year Award from California Democratic Party
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2014 Contact: Brian Purchia, Brian@protectourdefenders.com
*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***
PROTECT OUR DEFENDERS TO RECEIVE VETERANS’ ORGANIZATION OF YEAR AWARD FROM CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Advocacy Committee Member Stacey Thompson to Accept Award on Behalf of Protect Our Defenders, Advocacy Committee Member Kate Weber Named Veteran of the Year Award
Washington DC – On Saturday, March 8, Protect Our Defenders (POD) will receive the Veterans Organization of the Year Award from the Veterans Caucus of the California Democratic Party in Los Angeles. The Caucus has recognized the non-profit advocacy organization, “for defining advocacy efforts for women and men of the US Armed Forces who have experienced a sexual assault and the military sexual trauma that follows.”
Veteran, survivor and Protect Our Defenders Advocacy Committee Member Stacey Thompson will accept the award on POD’s behalf. Stacey has bravely shared her personal story, and has spoken in support of the Military Justice Improvement Act (MJIA) with Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and others. This common sense, bipartisan legislation would remove the decision to prosecute rape and sexual assault cases from a conflicted and often-biased chain of command, and put it into the hands of independent prosecutors.
Protect Our Defenders Advocacy Committee Member Kate Weber will also be receiving the Veteran of the Year award from the Caucus. Kate is a fierce advocate for victims of military sexual assault, and last year joined Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) to call on Congress to support the MJIA. Kate has also testified in front of the California State Assembly on the issue of sexual assault in the military, and appeared in the Oscar nominated documentary, ‘The Invisible War’.
WHO: Veterans Caucus of the California Democratic Party
Stacey Thompson, Survivor/Protect Our Defenders Advocacy Committee
Kate Weber, Survivor/Protect Our Defenders Advocacy Committee
DATE: Saturday, March 8, 2014
TIME: 4:45-6:30pm
PLACE: Westin Bonaventure
San Gabriel – Room A
404 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles
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Protect Our Defenders to Join Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for Press Conference, Call on Senate to Support Common Sense Legislation to Fight Epidemic of Sexual Assault in the Military
Associated Press: Stacey Thompson, Military Rape Victim, Says Retaliation Prevalent For Those Who Speak Out
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/31/stacey-thompson-military-rape_n_3365107.html
Bloomberg News: Marine Says Her Rapist Went Free as Senator Demands a Crackdown
Orange County Register: For Marine, sexual assault was a career killer
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/thompson-510740-marine-corps.html
Democrat and Chronicle: Vote near on Gillibrand plan to address military assaults
Huffington Post: Who Will Stand With Military Sexual Assault Survivors When It Counts This Week
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-rieckhoff/who-will-stand-with-milit_b_4298318.html
Kate Weber testifies at California State Assembly Hearing on Military Sexual Trauma
https://www.protectourdefenders.com/california-state-assembly-hearing-on-military-sexual-trauma/
Press Democract: Local activist earns Leader of the Year Award
About Protect Our Defenders: Protect Our Defenders is a human rights organization. We seek to honor, support and give voice to the brave women and men in uniform who have been sexually assaulted while serving their country, and re-victimized by the military adjudication system – a system that often blames the victim and fails to prosecute the perpetrator. Learn more about Protect Our Defenders at www.protectourdefenders.com or on Facebook at http://facebook.com/ProtectOurDefenders or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ProtectRDfnders.
Protect Our Defenders partners with Attorney Susan Burke, of Katz, Marshall & Banks LLP to advance lawsuits filed against the DoD and service academies for repeatedly ignoring rape, sexual assault and harassment, failing to prosecute perpetrators and retaliating against the victim.
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