Dating apps including Tinder and other Match Group platforms have called on senators to pass the Violence Against Women Act. Apps including Match, Tinder, OkCupid, BLK, Chispa and Plenty of Fish, all of which are part of the company Match Group — have prompted their users to send an email to their senators “with one click,” urging them to support the reauthorisation of the Violence Against Women Act.
In a statement released by Tinder, they said: “Violence against women is a major public health issue and violation of human rights that needs to be acknowledged and must be urgently addressed if we truly want a more equitable society. So today, we are asking you to join us and make your voice heard by contacting your Senator to urge them to reauthorise the Violence Against Women Act.”
The dating platforms involved in the battle have provided users with a pre-written email to send to their respective senators, saying the legislation is needed to supply resources for survivors of violence and to aid in their recovery.
The Violence Against Women Act, originally enacted in 1994, lapsed in 2019 and has not been reauthorised since. The House in March passed a bill to re-approve the measure largely along party lines, with only 29 Republicans joining Democrats in advancing it, but the legislation has since stalled in the Senate.
The bill would provide grants to state and local governments for programs addressing domestic abuse, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking, in addition to further narrowing the ‘boyfriend loophole’ to prohibit dating partners convicted of domestic violence or abuse from buying or owning guns.
Current law only restricts gun purchases for spouses or formerly married partners who were convicted of abuse or are under a restraining order.
Shar Dubey, CEO of the Match Group, said: “All of us — companies, communities, and yes, lawmakers—need to do more. Violence against women is a major public health problem and violation of human rights that needs to be acknowledged and must be urgently addressed if we truly want our daughters to grow up in a more equitable society.
“That is why I am urging lawmakers from across the political spectrum to forge a compromise so that we can swiftly pass the reauthorisation of the Violence Against Women Act, a critical federal law that protects survivors and uses grants to help fund programs to assist in their recovery.”
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