Thank you President @joebiden for your service and decades of leadership. And for leading the strongest gun safety administration in US history.
Shelley Duvall was one of the women that made me want to be an actress. She was fascinating, original, vulnerable and inscrutable all at once. RIP 💔
It’s hot today
It’s hot today
It’s hot today
It’s hot today
It’s hot today
It’s hot today
It’s hot today
At @talkhousebar Monday night – @cal_freundlich and @sofiadangelo27 had an AMAZING show. So proud of you @calebmoore_music
At @talkhousebar Monday night – @cal_freundlich and @sofiadangelo27 had an AMAZING show. So proud of you @calebmoore_music
At @talkhousebar Monday night – @cal_freundlich and @sofiadangelo27 had an AMAZING show. So proud of you @calebmoore_music
This week’s #WomenCrushWednesday is Stephanie Halfmoon of the Cherokee and Shawnee Nations from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Stephanie is a force in the gun violence prevention movement, serving as a senior fellow with the @Everytown Survivor Network and as a @MomsDemand and @BeSMARTforKids volunteer leader. On May 17, 2017, Stephanie’s beloved Aunt Jeannie was killed in a senseless act of gun violence by teenagers who should never have had access to firearms. This tragedy galvanized Stephanie to join the @Everytown Survivor Network, a nationwide community of gun violence survivors that connects survivors to each other and supports survivors who choose to become gun safety advocates. Stephanie now shares her aunt’s story to inspire connection: “I share my experiences with gun violence with others so they know they aren’t alone.” Stephanie also joined @MomsDemand and @BeSMARTforKids, where she has committed herself to educate her community about the importance of secure gun storage–keeping them unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition. “I also hope to continue to do more work with Indigenous communities,” she says, “who face disproportionate rates of gun homicides and intimate partner gun violence.” Thank you, @Stephanie_Halfmoon, for your courage and commitment to honoring your beloved Aunt Jeannie. Read and share Stephanie’s tribute to her aunt at the link in my bio. #wcw
This week’s #WomenCrushWednesday is Stephanie Halfmoon of the Cherokee and Shawnee Nations from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Stephanie is a force in the gun violence prevention movement, serving as a senior fellow with the @Everytown Survivor Network and as a @MomsDemand and @BeSMARTforKids volunteer leader. On May 17, 2017, Stephanie’s beloved Aunt Jeannie was killed in a senseless act of gun violence by teenagers who should never have had access to firearms. This tragedy galvanized Stephanie to join the @Everytown Survivor Network, a nationwide community of gun violence survivors that connects survivors to each other and supports survivors who choose to become gun safety advocates. Stephanie now shares her aunt’s story to inspire connection: “I share my experiences with gun violence with others so they know they aren’t alone.” Stephanie also joined @MomsDemand and @BeSMARTforKids, where she has committed herself to educate her community about the importance of secure gun storage–keeping them unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition. “I also hope to continue to do more work with Indigenous communities,” she says, “who face disproportionate rates of gun homicides and intimate partner gun violence.” Thank you, @Stephanie_Halfmoon, for your courage and commitment to honoring your beloved Aunt Jeannie. Read and share Stephanie’s tribute to her aunt at the link in my bio. #wcw
“I love you forever and ever and ever, and you’re going to always be a reminder in my walk of life, and I’ll continue to do things in your honor till the day I leave this world.” – Lavern Lucier of Durham, North Carolina, and this week’s #WomenCrushWednesday On August 10, 2020, just one month after his 18th birthday, Lavern’s son, Syncere Burrell, was shot and killed. “Syncere was a beautiful person,” Lavern shares. “He was sweet. He loved everybody. He was a funny guy. He loved to make you laugh.” She also adds that her son’s murder remains unsolved: “I’m just praying that one day the person who did it will wake up and turn themselves in.” In her pursuit for justice, Lavern channeled her grief and sorrow into action, sharing, “I won’t allow what happened to my son to make me bitter, but try to help the other children who are still here.” She began volunteering with @MomsDemand and became a leading voice in the gun safety movement in Durham, championing secure gun storage and raising awareness of guns stolen from cars. On average, at least one gun is stolen from a car every nine minutes in the United States, and the majority of gun homicides and assaults involve stolen or illegal guns. Gun thefts from cars are the largest source of those stolen guns. In her advocacy, Lavern urges gun owners to always lock their vehicles and securely store their guns in those vehicles, while also calling for legislation that would require secure gun storage. She knows these incidents are preventable and is determined to protect other families in Durham from the loss she experienced: “I will not rest until everyone’s child is safe from gun violence.” Thank you, Lavern, for your lifesaving work. This Saturday will mark four years since Syncere’s passing. Please join me in honoring Syncere and Lavern by texting READY to 644-33, and clicking the link in my bio to learn more about gun thefts from cars. #wcw
RJ Shannon of Phoenix, Arizona is this week’s #WomenCrushWednesday. A survivor of gun violence and a volunteer leader with @MomsDemand, RJ has worked in gun violence prevention for over three decades. RJ joined the gun safety movement in 1992, compelled to keep her daughter safe. By that time, RJ’s life had already been inundated by gun violence; she had lost friends to shootings, been a victim of armed robbery, witnessed shootouts, experienced police intimidation, and had grown up in a household threatened by domestic violence and guns. “For less traumatized families, the chances of one person shooting another felt frankly non-existent,” RJ says. “But for traumatized families, the threat was always there.” Determined to make a difference, RJ spent years advocating for safer communities and against gun violence in Arizona, including conducting workshops at correctional facilities, schools, and community centers. “My relationship with Arizona has always been somewhat contentious,” RJ admits, “but I’ll stay here for as long as the amazing people who do this work continue to trust me with their knowledge, wisdom and actions.” Now 71-years-old, RJ leads the Phoenix chapter of @MomsDemand, firmly committed to protecting her community from gun violence. “Even though I’m retired,” she shares, “I still get to associate with the very best, most enthusiastic, passionate people who are fearless in their resolve to create a safer world for their children, grandchildren, family members, neighbors, and community members.” Thank you, RJ, for your years of life-saving advocacy. Join RJ in this fight by texting READY to 644-33. #wcw
RJ Shannon of Phoenix, Arizona is this week’s #WomenCrushWednesday. A survivor of gun violence and a volunteer leader with @MomsDemand, RJ has worked in gun violence prevention for over three decades. RJ joined the gun safety movement in 1992, compelled to keep her daughter safe. By that time, RJ’s life had already been inundated by gun violence; she had lost friends to shootings, been a victim of armed robbery, witnessed shootouts, experienced police intimidation, and had grown up in a household threatened by domestic violence and guns. “For less traumatized families, the chances of one person shooting another felt frankly non-existent,” RJ says. “But for traumatized families, the threat was always there.” Determined to make a difference, RJ spent years advocating for safer communities and against gun violence in Arizona, including conducting workshops at correctional facilities, schools, and community centers. “My relationship with Arizona has always been somewhat contentious,” RJ admits, “but I’ll stay here for as long as the amazing people who do this work continue to trust me with their knowledge, wisdom and actions.” Now 71-years-old, RJ leads the Phoenix chapter of @MomsDemand, firmly committed to protecting her community from gun violence. “Even though I’m retired,” she shares, “I still get to associate with the very best, most enthusiastic, passionate people who are fearless in their resolve to create a safer world for their children, grandchildren, family members, neighbors, and community members.” Thank you, RJ, for your years of life-saving advocacy. Join RJ in this fight by texting READY to 644-33. #wcw
RJ Shannon of Phoenix, Arizona is this week’s #WomenCrushWednesday. A survivor of gun violence and a volunteer leader with @MomsDemand, RJ has worked in gun violence prevention for over three decades. RJ joined the gun safety movement in 1992, compelled to keep her daughter safe. By that time, RJ’s life had already been inundated by gun violence; she had lost friends to shootings, been a victim of armed robbery, witnessed shootouts, experienced police intimidation, and had grown up in a household threatened by domestic violence and guns. “For less traumatized families, the chances of one person shooting another felt frankly non-existent,” RJ says. “But for traumatized families, the threat was always there.” Determined to make a difference, RJ spent years advocating for safer communities and against gun violence in Arizona, including conducting workshops at correctional facilities, schools, and community centers. “My relationship with Arizona has always been somewhat contentious,” RJ admits, “but I’ll stay here for as long as the amazing people who do this work continue to trust me with their knowledge, wisdom and actions.” Now 71-years-old, RJ leads the Phoenix chapter of @MomsDemand, firmly committed to protecting her community from gun violence. “Even though I’m retired,” she shares, “I still get to associate with the very best, most enthusiastic, passionate people who are fearless in their resolve to create a safer world for their children, grandchildren, family members, neighbors, and community members.” Thank you, RJ, for your years of life-saving advocacy. Join RJ in this fight by texting READY to 644-33. #wcw
“At my first @MomsDemand meeting in 2020, when they announced they needed a local elections leader, I thought ‘My only electoral experience is voting.’ But I decided to raise my hand and figure out the rest later.” – @laurendhay of Rancho Santa Fe, California, this week’s #WomenCrushWednesday. Lauren is a volunteer with the California chapter of @MomDemand and is now in her fourth year leading the group’s state elections work. In her role, Lauren helps identify Gun Sense Candidates, or candidates who demonstrate that they will support stronger gun laws and advocate for safer communities if elected into office. The distinction signals to voters that these candidates will govern with gun safety top of mind. In the 2022 election cycle, Lauren helped secure over 500 Gun Sense Candidates in California. “I have seen how rapidly our movement has raised awareness surrounding the urgency of gun safety legislation among individuals running for office,” Lauren shares. “I have watched gun safety become a winning issue among voters in California, often transcending party lines.” That November, 285 of those candidates won their races. As a result, Lauren watched thirteen life-saving gun safety bills pass in the California House and Senate and signed into law by the governor—including the historic AB 28 Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act in 2023. When it comes to this year’s elections, Lauren’s message is no different: “I believe that the single most effective thing we can do to end the epidemic of gun violence in America is to strengthen gun laws, but in order to do that we first need to elect candidates who are committed to common sense gun safety.” Thank you Lauren, and to all the #WCWs who raise their hands to join this movement. To find your 2024 local, state, and federal Gun Sense Candidates, click the link in my bio.
#TheRoomNextDoor is an official selection of #Tiff24.
#TheRoomNextDoor, the first English language feature from Pedro Almodóvar, starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton. Only in theaters this December.
Pedro Almodóvar’s @TheRoomNextDoorMovie starring @JulianneMoore and Tilda Swinton will premiere at the #VeniceFilmFestival. 📸 @eldeseo_, photo by Iglesias Más.
