The Revolution Starts at Home: Confronting Intimate Violence Within Activist Communities

Andrea Smith, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samara, Jai Dulani, Ching-In Chen

The extent of the violence affecting our communities is staggering. Nearly one in three women in the United States will experience intimate violence in her lifetime. And while intimate violence affects relationships across the sexuality and gender spectrums, the likelihood of isolation and irreparable harm, including death, is even greater within LGBTQI communities. To effectively resist violence out there–in the prison system, on militarized borders, or in other clear encounters with “the system”–we must challenge how it is reproduced right where we live. It’s one thing when the perpetrator is the police, the state, or someone we don’t know. It’s quite another when that person is someone we call a friend, lover, and trusted ally.
Based on the popular zine that had reviewers and fans alike demanding more, The Revolution Starts at Home finally breaks the dangerous silence surrounding the “open secret” of intimate violence–by and toward caretakers, in romantic partnerships, and in friendships–within social justice movements. This watershed collection compiles stories and strategies from survivors and their allies, documenting a decade of community accountability work and delving into the nitty-gritty of creating safety from abuse without relying on the prison industrial complex.

Fearless, tough-minded, and ultimately loving, The Revolution Starts at Home offers life-saving alternatives for ensuring survivor safety while building a road toward a revolution where no one is left behind.

status	Copy #1 (3886): in
genre	Utopian Studies » Community
publisher	South End Press
publish date	May 24, 2011
popularity	checked out 10 time(s)