January 23, 2019

#MeToo: 296 State Legislators Commit to Supporting Survivors and Combatting Sexual Violence

Denver, Colo. – 296 legislators from 40 states, including the District of Columbia, have signed a bold letter of support for survivors of sexual violence with a committment to work with the communities most impacted to create solutions.

“It’s critical that state legislators take the lead on standing up for survivors of sexual violence, especially with Justice Kavanaugh now on the Supreme Court and Secretary Devos intent on rolling back protections for student survivors,” said Sophia Kerby, Deputy Director of Reproductive Rights at State Innovation Exchange (SiX).“Women of color, undocumented folks, the LGBTQ community, and other marginalized groups experience sexual violence at alarming rates. Tarana Burke, the founder of #MeToo, reminds us that this is a movement, not a moment; and state legislators are boldly stepping forward to support the communities most severely impacted by sexual violence.”

Last fall, more than 300 organizations made a national call for 20 states to take concrete steps to strengthen support and protection for survivors of sexual violence by the year 2020. State legislators are responding to the challenge. The statement, also excerpted below, can be found here.

“We cannot wait for Congress to act. States must lead in this fight. As 2019 state legislative sessions begin, we commit to supporting survivors and working to address sexual harassment and violence in our workplaces, our schools, and every place it occurs. We will work with survivors and the communities most severely impacted by sexual violence—including women of color, immigrants, and LGBTQIA and gender nonconforming individuals—who are central to creating the solutions this movement demands.”

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