Tell New York state legislators: Protect survivors from retaliatory defamation lawsuits!

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Tell New York state legislators: Protect survivors from retaliatory defamation lawsuits!

The petition to the New York state assembly and state senate reads:

Most survivors of sexual violence never report their abuse out of fear of retaliation, among other threats. One of the most powerful retaliation tools that perpetrators use is a defamation lawsuit. When survivors are threatened and silenced, it harms all of us. That's where New York A0687 and S2419 come in. Survivors should be able to seek justice without fear of retaliation. As your constituents, we urge you to send A0687 and S2419 to the floor for a vote without delay!

When celebrities accused of sexual misconduct file defamation lawsuits against people for speaking their truth, this is a major setback for survivors everywhere. These lawsuits create a chilling effect of silencing and further isolating survivors--and not just the ones who are going up against public figures.

New York now has the opportunity to become the second state in the country, after California, to stop accused perpetrators from relying on defamation lawsuits to silence their victims.

A0687 in the state assembly and S2419 in the state senate are commonsense bills that would privilege certain communications regarding incidents of sexual assault, harassment, or discrimination in defamation actions. It would expand protections for survivors of sexual assault, harassment, and discrimination from weaponized defamation lawsuits.

It would make it harder for perpetrators of sexual abuse to retaliate against survivors with legal threats and intimidation, and would encourage more survivors to come forward with their truth and expose the behavior of those who harmed them. These bills would also provide relief to survivors in the form of reasonable attorneys' fees and damages for successfully defending themselves against meritless lawsuits.

Already, a formidable coalition of gender and survivor rights advocates is pushing to make A0687 and S2419 the law of New York. Will you add your support, too?

Sign the petition now to tell your state assembly member and senator to pass A0687 and S2419 without delay!