"Social media is not just a place we 'go' anymore. It's a place we live, work, and play. That's why it's more crucial than ever to ensure that all people can safely access these spaces and freely express themselves without fear of retribution," Jenna Sherman, campaign director at UltraViolet
"Adriana Smith's family should have had a choice. Her mother was clear that she wanted to make the decision about whether her daughter's body should be kept on life support. But Georgia doctors and legislators failed Adriana and her family." said Arisha Hatch, interim executive director of UltraViolet
In the past, activists have expressed distrust about police involvement in sexual assault investigations. Shaunna Thomas, co-founder of UltraViolet, a group that works to “expand women’s rights”, said in a statement that “police and prosecutors routinely fail survivors of sexual assault” and that “just two of every 100 perpetrators of sexual violence ever see a day behind bars”.
She said that Sanders’s answer “fails to acknowledge the reality many survivors face”, and his solution would “hurt rather than help survivors”.
“Sexual assault isn’t just a crime, it’s a civil rights violation, and schools are required by law to address it,” she said. “The decision about whether or not to report an assault to law enforcement should be entirely up to the survivor.”
“Whether the accused is a high profile celebrity or a star athlete, we can no longer allow sexual assault to be swept under the rug.”
The Yankees’ decision Monday to trade for Reds closer Aroldis Chapman is already receiving criticism from a women’s rights group.
“All moms and dads of all incomes deserve time to care for their new children,” Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of UltraViolet, said in a statement. “However, it is disappointing that Netflix is continuing their two-tiered system that says some parents deserve more time to bond with their children than others.”
A retired Billings judge who admitted to victim blaming in a case with an underage rape victim was honored on Friday with a Lifetime Achievement Award. But an anti-sexism group “Ultraviolet” calls his award “support for rape culture.”
