Stealthing should be recognized as sexual assault nationwide.

Action: Call your legislators to vote “YES” to the H.R. 7928 – “Consent is Key Act” and H.R.7920 – “Stealthing Act.”

By now, most people have read Gabrielle Blair’s epic twitter thread, where a Mormon mother of six lays out her case that ALL pregnancies are caused by men’s ejaculations, including from those who refuse to wear condoms, and those who sneakily remove them during sex, the latter action now known as stealthing.

Those who’ve suffered this form of sexual assault – one that causes unwanted pregnancies, HIV, STDs and emotional trauma – also call it “A one-sided burden. A betrayal. A violation. Rape-adjacent.”

H.R. 7928 and H.R. 7920 are based on CA’s anti-stealthing law, which doesn’t send a harm-doer to prison for criminal sexual battery, but allows victims to file a civil action to get help with costs, including therapy and medical services, as a result of the assault. This strategy was based on the lower burden of proof in civil cases, making it more likely that stealthing survivors would win. This was, of course, before the fall of Roe. The stakes on impregnating someone against their will have risen exponentially.

Blair ends her thread with “Men often don’t know, and don’t ask, and don’t think to ask, if they’ve caused a pregnancy. They may never think of it, or associate sex with making babies at all. Why? Because there are 0 consequences for men who cause unwanted pregnancies.”

Let’s change that.

Minimal script for representatives: I’m calling from [zip code]and in post-Roe America, it is critical that Rep. [___] to pass both anti-stealthing bills H.R. 7928 “Consent is Key” Act and H.R. 7920 “Stealthing Act.”

Minimal script for senators: I’m calling from [zip code]and in post-Roe America, it is critical that Senator [___] introduce and pass legislation identical to the House anti-stealthing bills – H.R. 7928 “Consent is Key” Act and H.R. 7920 “Stealthing Act.”

Additional script for both if you want it: In addition, now that states are willing to criminalize those who can be impregnated over abortions, pregnancy issues, and perhaps even execute them, along with those states that would let a pregnant person die to save a fetus, please consider making this a “wobbler” crime, with both civil and criminal assault charges available, as stealthing can now imprison, maim or kill people.

Full text of the Stealthing Act of 2022 he r e. (Cosponsors here – neither Brownley nor Carbajal are on it yet)
Full text of the Consent is Key Act here. (Cosponsors here – neither Brownley nor Carbajal are on it yet)

Contact:

Rep. Julia Brownley (CA-26): email, DC (202) 225-5811, Oxnard (805) 379-1779, T.O. (805) 379-1779
or Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24): email. DC (202) 225-3601, SB (805) 730-1710 SLO (805) 546-8348
Senator Feinstein: email, DC (202) 224-3841, LA (310) 914-7300, SF (415) 393-0707, SD (619) 231-9712, Fresno (559) 485-7430
and Senator Padilla: email, DC (202) 224-3553, LA (310) 231-4494, SAC (916) 448-2787, Fresno (559) 497-5109, SF (415) 981-9369, SD (619) 239-3884
Who is my representative/senator?: https://whoismyrepresentative.com