Today in honor of domestic violence awareness month Moorpark College’s GSA and LGBT clubs have come together to give students more insight to domestic violence in gay, straight, lesbian and transgender relationships. 

The booths were set up in the quad area by professors Kari Meyers, Sally Ponce-O’Rourke and Cynthia Barnett. According to the flyer vice president of GSA, Benny Smith, created 20 to 35 percent of same-sex relationships suffer from violent abuse.

This event is really important to 22-year-old psychology major, Corrinne Gabaldon.

Just a few years ago, Gabaldon was subjected to domestic violence both emotionally and physically from an ex-boyfriend whom she was living with.

“It makes me sad that it happens to people,” said Gabaldon. “I want people to know there is a way out. You can walk away even if it feels impossible.”  

Aside from raising awareness on emotional and physical abuse in relationships the GSA is also open to recruiting new members for the club.

“We’re always looking for people who need friends and support,” said 18-year-old business major Charles Freeman. This is Freeman’s first year at Moorpark College, having recently moved here from Palmdale. After leaving his community of religious friends and family he wanted to be more open about his sexual orientation by joining the GSA, adding “I wanted friends who liked me for me.”

To get students involved everyone is encouraged to paint a fabric square for the quilt that will be sewn together. T-shirts created by women and children who were victims to violent and emotional abuse are showcased on clotheslines across the booths.

The President of the GSA, 19-year-old business major Amy Jones explained, “The goal for the day is to spread the word about domestic violence in all relationships.”

To learn more about domestic violence visit nrcdv.org or e-mail [email protected]