Assemblymember Catherine Stefani (D-San Francisco) recognized Lesley Hu as Woman of the Year for California’s Nineteenth Assembly District. Lesley is the founder of Pierce’s Pledge, an organization dedicated to keeping children safe throughout custody disputes. Due to her advocacy, she has become a powerful leader in the gun violence prevention movement.
Lesley founded Pierce’s Pledge in honor and in memory of her son Pierce, who was tragically taken from her by her ex-husband during custody court proceedings. “I am a mother who tried to protect her son through the court system but wasn’t able to in the end because guns made the power uneven.” Due to the emotional and volatile nature of custody battles, individuals with ownership of a firearm only require a heat-of-the-moment action to use it.
This is where Pierce’s Pledge steps in. Taking away deadly weapons during an impulse, psychotic break, or angry moment, could prevent tragedies like this one. The pledge requires individuals to declare weapons they possess and that they will store them in a secure off-site and third-party location.
Working alongside lawyers, mediators, custody partners, and judges, she has led the charge to ensure guns are stored outside the home during these difficult periods. Her advocacy mission is to protect children by promoting risk management, voluntary separation from firearms, and encouraging parents to always consider custody from the child’s perspective. “A child can’t ask a parent to store a gun, but we can.”
Pierce’s Pledge reducing risks of firearm violence by focusing on what legal professionals can do in contested child custody cases is a unique and powerful asset in securing protections for all parties, and especially the child(ren). “Thank you, Lesley, for your bravery and unwavering advocacy to keep children safe from gun violence” (Asm. Stefani).
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