In Memoriam - Florence Rush

NOW-NYC Susan B. Anthony Award recipient (2005) Florence Rush changed the landscape of feminist theory by revolutionizing the understanding of sexual abuse of children. Rush first electrified New York crowds in 1971 with her ground-breaking theory that the primary perpetrators of sexual abuse of children are men that they already know. She wrote “The Best Kept Secret: Sexual Abuse of Children” in 1980, and worked with the National Organization for Women New York City chapter (NOW–NYC) on its Images of Children in the Media Committee. Rush also formed one of the first mothers’ support groups after her younger son Matthew was stricken with AIDS in the mid-1980s. Florence Rush passed away on December 9th, 2008, just short of her 91st birthday. She leaves behind a lasting legacy in the feminist movement through her profound contribution.