What You May Have Missed in May
Criminalizing "Sextortion"
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On May 8th, New Jersey became the 18th state to criminalize sextortion by closing loopholes in existing law that were created by advances in the digital age. Since 2017, Legal Momentum has supported 19 similar bills in other states, read more about our work on sextortion here.
National Coverage on Nonconsensual Drug-Testing
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On May 10th, our Legal Director Jennifer Becker and client Terisa were featured in a piece in Newsweek that further exposed the harmful and discriminatory practice of hospitals nonconsensually drug-testing patients during routine medical care, including labor, and subsequently reporting those results to child protective services.
"Our position is that it doesn't matter what ultimately the test results are, there's a violation of pregnant patients. The instant that a medical provider is taking their bodily fluid and testing it for drugs without their informed consent, that alone is a violation of bodily autonomy, privacy, patient rights, and really concerning."
- Later in the month, as a continuation of our work to eradicate this practice, we supported a campaign with community partners to pass informed consent legislation in New York. Take action here.
Let Kids Play!
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On May 15th, we released our second public comment in support of proposed changes to the Title IX rule, this one specifically calling for the right of transgender, nonbinary and intersex students to participate in school sports consistent with their gender identity.
National Action Plan to End GBV
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On May 25th, we celebrated the release of the first ever U.S. National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence by the Biden-Harris Administration. We were pleased to offer our expertise and insight during the Plan's development and look forward to seeing the impact that implementation will have. Read more about the seven-pillared plan here.
Pay Equity in NY
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And finally on May 30th, we released our newest resource, "Understanding Your Right to Pay Equity in New York." We created this resource so that New Yorkers are not only aware of the numerous protections available to them, but also know how to use them and who to contact for assistance. If you or someone you know has a pay equity concern, in New York or nationwide, please contact our Helpline.
We're Hiring!
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Legal Momentum is hiring a Community Empowerment Fellow. Please share with anyone in your network who might be interested!
If you like what you see, don't hesitate: Share now and help Legal Momentum continue protecting the rights of women and girls!
