Are your friends safe?

Good morning,

A few of years ago a friend of mine told me that she was on a dating app called OkCupid and was mortified to see Cliff's profile there. Of course, she knew what kind of man he was and that he had an extensive history of violence. What she said to me was both terrifying and validating: She read his profile and couldn't spot a single red flag - everything about it seemed perfectly normal. Charming even.

When I started telling people about my abuse at the hands of Mr Brown there were online communities that validated my experience. Without them I may have never realized the gravity of my situation. On the other hand, so many people I knew personally were absolutely shocked by the truth of what had happened. Some didn't believe it. That's what these abusers do. Mr. Brown has used his mental health and trauma as an excuse for his behavior but the fact is he can, and did, control it when it when he wanted to.

• He can behave for the first several months of any relationship
• He can behave in front of police
• He can charm your family and friends
• Members of the community like him - he can be helpful

What it boils down to to is that he does, genuinely, feel entitled to treat women the way he does. He thinks we deserved it. People always want to believe that they can spot an abuser. That they would be able to tell - but that's rarely ever the case. That's why it's so important to raise awareness about what Domestic Violence actually looks like and make sure women in our community are aware of local offenders and have the opportunity to participate in self advocacy.

If you're a member of local community groups, dating groups, singles groups or women's groups - please take a moment to share this petition with those groups. If you have friends in the greater Nashville area that use dating apps - send them this petition!

It's so very important that women know who they're dealing with.

Thank you for helping us make our community a safer place.