Sexual Violence Prevention Group Honors Christine Blasey Ford As Person of the Year

A sexual violence prevention group, Raliance, announced Monday that they were honoring Kavanaugh-accuser Christine Blasey Ford as their 2019 Person of the Year.

Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the fall of 2018 and accused Judge Brett Kavanaugh of having sexually assaulted her.  She ultimately did not provide enough information to indict Kavanaugh but was subsequently hailed as a hero by many sexual assault advocacies and #METOO proponents. Since then, Ford has faced a large amount of death threats and has had to change homes for fears of her safety.

Raliance attempts to stop sexual violence through research, policy, and supportive programs. They advertise themselves as “a national partnership dedicated to ending sexual violence in one generation.”

In a statement, Raliance said that they chose Ford as their Person of the Year because she is a “passionate and public champion for survivors of sexual assault.”

“Her testimony in the confirmation hearings of Justice Brett Kavanaugh had a global impact on how we respond to and support survivors of sexual assault. Dr. Ford’s sacrifice in sharing her experience, and the difficulties she subsequently endured, brought much-needed attention to the importance of supporting and believing survivors.”

Raliance is also honoring Democratic Wisconsin Representative Gwen Moore with their Policy Maker Award, in honor of her “tireless advocate for women’s rights and civil rights issues, including sexual assault, domestic violence and women’s health.” In addition, they are honoring Tony West, the chief legal officer at Uber as a Corporate Innovator, and Indira Henard, the executive director of the D.C. Rape Crisis Center.

Awardees will attend a ceremony in Washington, D.C. next week.