Gloria is a campaign innovator focused on the strategic combination of powerful messaging, technology and data, and grassroots organizing in order to drive engagement, build on-the-ground power, and move issues forward. Prior to MomsRising, she was principal for Internet communications strategy at Turner Strategies, where she launched online communities around issues ranging from climate change and democracy to civil rights and women's health. Gloria conceived and helped found the influential 2009 Fem2.0 conference and the Fem2.0 online community. As communications director for the media futures think tank, the Institute for the Connected Society (iFOCOS), she was an early adopter of online platforms, including blogs, Facebook, and Twitter, and was a driving force in building the We Media conferences into a must-attend event for the media vanguard. She speaks Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and French with varying degrees of fluency.
Blog Post List
September 30, 2014
I’ve tried to raise a responsible, engaged American, and I’ve worked hard to make sure she appreciates her privilege as a U.S. citizen to have a voice in our democracy, and her duty to exercise it.
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August 28, 2014
GirlUzi.jpg The news a nine-year-old girl accidentally killed her firearms instructor with an Uzi submachine gun during a family vacation has shocked people across the country and the world. As a bsurd and irresponsible as it is, the gun industry aggressively markets firearms use as " wholesome family fun ." Bullets and Burgers, the Nevada establishment where the deadly incident occurred, is TripAdvisor's #1 attraction in Las Vegas with nearly 1,000 five star ratings, with the user reviews repeating the industry's anyone-can-have-fun-with-guns enthusiasm. Gun safety and responsibility...
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June 10, 2014
A few weeks ago, MomsRising asked our members to sign on to our message, "Don't let the NRA choose our U.S. Surgeon General," and confirm Dr. Vivek Murthy at U.S. Surgeon General. Last week on Monday, June 2, we asked members to contact their U.S. Senators to let them know that moms and tots were heading their way to#StandWithVivek and drop off the petition signatures, including yours. On Tuesday, June 3, we delivered their message to the U.S. Senate, urging lawmakers to not let the NRA choose our U.S. Surgeon General, and to move forward with confirming Dr. Vivek Murthy as our nation’s top...
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April 2, 2014
When I think of my drugstore, I think, “HEALTH!” and “WELLNESS!” After all, that’s where I go to pick up bandages for boo-boos, cold medicine for the sniffles, and medications for reducing fevers and relieving pain. That’s where my pharmacist gives me the antibiotics that stop simple infections from turning into life-threatening, raging monsters. But what if a drugstore willfully ignores the concerns of its customers and continues selling things that could actually threaten their health? Last year, MomsRising joined the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families Coalition to launch the Mind the Store...
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March 18, 2014
For all who have asked: Here is the image and link you can share on Facebook! I couldn't believe my ears when I heard about the Surgeon General controversy on the news. Emboldened by its influence on Capitol Hill, the NRA is now flexing its muscles and actively working to derail Dr. Vivek Murthy’s confirmation just because, like many other doctors, he has referred to gun violence as a threat to public health in the past. Many health associations have found gun violence to be a public health issue. Even C. Everett Koop, the legendary Surgeon General nominated by Ronald Reagan, described gun...
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January 27, 2014
Legislating for gun safety has long been an uphill battle in Virginia, where even many Democratic lawmakers are allied with the gun lobby. In such an environment, the seemingly most outrageous proposals stand a real chance of becoming law. In 2009, for instance, the Virginia General Assembly voted to allow people to skip hands-on gun safety courses and fulfill the training requirement for concealed carry permits over the Internet . In 2010, it voted to allow people to bring concealed weapons into bars , restaurants and other venues that serve alcohol. This year, the 2014 docket includes...
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January 9, 2014
Already in these first days of 2014, my spirits are dampened by the vision of a frightening climate future coming at us at warp speed. Like in a science fiction story, Arctic winds have been swooping in from the far north, grabbing regions as far south as the bayous of Louisiana in an icicle grip, and plunging thermometers across the country far into the freezing zone. The phenomenon even has a sinister name, like what you might hear in a sci-fi movie: “ POLAR VORTEX .” In some places, wind chills have dipped to 10… 20… 30… even 6o° F below, just like average temperatures on Mars . This kind...
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November 5, 2013
Why are you worried about clean air and/or climate change? What questions and suggestions do you have? Me? I worry about the toxins and greenhouse gasses in the air that provoke breathing problems and also contribute to climate change. I worry because my daughter, Cole, was severely asthmatic from age one through seven, and I have memories of endless, dark nights holding vigil next to her bed, watching her small rattling body fight for every breath and terrified it would lose. And I worry for Cole’s future. Today, she is a college student, laying the groundwork for what will hopefully be a...
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October 24, 2013
Because moms and family members across the country united our voices and signed on to MomRising.org’s petitions and letters calling on our government to defend clean air and fight climate change…. We were LOUD, and we were HEARD. Here's how we know: Before the business of government was so rudely interrupted by the government shutdown, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy delivered a major policy speech on climate change at the National Press Club, singling out MomsRising as an example of an effective community calling for action. WHAT AN HONOR! Administrator...
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October 22, 2013
One of my all-time favorite children’s stories is The Little Engine That Could . As the little engine slowly and with great effort pulls himself up that steep mountain, he tells himself, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.” Then, after trying really hard… and pushing himself… and not giving up… he finally makes it to the top. Hoooorraay!! Turns out, this lesson isn’t just for kids. Right now, there is a toxics reform bill in the works, the Chemical Safety Improvement Act (CSIA). Powerful lobbyists who are paid by the chemicals industry are working hard to undermine the effort for...
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September 14, 2013
This time of year, Target becomes like my second home. Dropping by to pick up school supplies, clothes and fall sports equipment in addition to my regular shopping, I’m in and out of my local store so often, they should personalize a parking spot for me. Target is my go-to retailer, because I love their friendliness, overall product selection and affordability. And when they tell me to “Expect more, pay less,” I generally feel like they mean it. And, well, I DO expect more. When my kids throw skin cream, hair gel or lip gloss into the shopping cart, I expect those items to be safe. And...
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August 5, 2013
When a toddler falls after taking his first step, mom picks him up so he can try again. When a child struggles with learning how to read, mom works with her every day until she gets it. Perseverance is one of the fundamental lessons moms teach their kids. Well, it’s time for moms to remind lawmakers to keep trying as they finally turn their attention to protecting public health from dangerous chemicals. After decades of inaction, the U.S. Senate is poised to consider a new bi-partisan bill to overhaul our system of regulating chemicals and toxics. It’s far from certain, however, that...
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June 19, 2013
Apologies to heifers everywhere, but cows, well, they smell bad. So did the April 17th U.S. Senate vote that failed to advance common sense gun policy reform. Clearly some Senators were more concerned about special interests than they were about the fact that more than 90% of the American people support background checks for gun purchases, and that’s just… there's no other way to say it…. a huge, steaming cow patty! That's why MomsRising and our moms in the Washington, DC Metro Area are planning a little bovine-themed trip to Capitol Hill in a few weeks to let U.S. Senators know how udderly...
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May 29, 2013
More than 30 people are killed with guns each day in our nation, according to the CDC . June 14 is the six-month anniversary of Newtown , and nearly the fifth month anniversary of the tragic death of Hadiya Pendleton . MomsRising, PICO Network, UltraViolet, Children's Defense Fund and the National Network to End Domestic Violence invite you to join your voice with ours as we remember that tragic day and use our voices to turn anger into action. In these last six months, what have our national leaders done to help prevent such tragedies and reduce the terrible gun violence that devastates...
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May 23, 2013
Ever felt like a wild thing? Last mon th, I found myself "roaring my terrible roar and gnashing my terrible teeth and rolling my terrible eyes and showing my terrible claws," because the Senate failed to pass the Manchin-Toomey Amendment, which would have expanded background checks for gun purchases and is a measure that 90% of the public supports . Lawmakers take heed! The failure to pass background checks provoked a wild rumpus across the land, in some places directly against the lawmakers who voted against background checks. For example, in New Hampshire, Sen. Kelly Ayotte faced intense...
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May 17, 2013
I had to share this audio clip of Vice President Biden reading from a binder of letters about guns from third graders in North Philadelphia. As Biden's mother used to say, "Out of the mouths of babes comes gems of wisdom." These little kids understand, because, coming from one of Philadelphia's most impoverished schools, many of them have seen the effects of gun violence in the streets. Camilla said: "I want to discuss with you why you want to stop gun violence. I think it's because you want less people passing away." Marilyn said: "I think you should close gun stores. That's my opinion."...
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May 14, 2013
I like deals as much as the next mom, but a coupon for AK-47s, rifles and pistols and also 10 cocktails? Ridiculous, but true! LivingSocial, offers this coupon while telling customers to, “Take a break from the urban insanity—and blow off some steam while you’re at it—with this fully loaded Adventure.” LivingSocial is an Internet company that offers discount opportunities to participate in fun experiences such as cookie tastings, acting workshops, or even exotic vacations. Such offerings now include “adventures” that combine booze with firearms, promoting and glorifying a risky combination...
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April 5, 2013
Just three short months after the tragic shooting deaths of 20 first graders at Sandy Hook Elementary School... Just weeks after a Chicago infant was killed in cross fire... And just days after President Obama made an impassioned plea to the American people to “remember how we felt 100 days ago, and make sure that what we said at that time wasn’t just a bunch of platitudes, that we meant it”... I woke up to this front-page Washington Post headline: “Gun measures may be in jeopardy in Congress – Post-Newtown push falters.” (Online headline) What?! When I look at my kids and think about those...
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April 3, 2013
Women in the United States are 11 times more likely to be murdered with guns than they are in any other developed nation. This violence is directly related to our weak gun laws.
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March 28, 2013
A couple of weeks ago, I met a woman named Louisa during a protest in front of the NRA’s national headquarters. As I walked beside her, waving my sign that said, “ Smart Gun Laws, Safe Families ,” I asked her, “Has anyone in your family ever been impacted by gun violence?” Literally stopping in her tracks, Louisa replied in astonishment, “Are you joking? Who on earth hasn’t been?” Her voice shaking, Louisa proceeded to tell me about her 18-year-old nephew, Ian, who fell asleep in a neighbor’s game room and ended up being shot by intruders. His death devastated their family, leading his father...
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