It's Time to Outlaw Unsolicited Lewds

In anticipation of a bill to outlaw unsolicited lewds at General Assembly 2022, we need you to use the power of your network to bring awareness to this issue impacting women and families in Virginia. Through coordinated action, we can enlist support from our Virginia Delegates and Senators. The more we use our voice, the louder our call to outlaw unsolicited lewds in Virginia.

-Key Talking Points-

• 53 percent of young American women and 37 percent of young American men have been sent unsolicited explicit material while online. - Pew Research 2017

• A 2018 survey by dating app Bumble showed 96% of users indicated they didn't want nude images that have been sent via text, messaged through social media or AirDropped while they’re walking through public spaces.

• It is already illegal in Virginia for any person, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass with obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious, or indecent language while using a computer. This leaves a cell phone sized loophole in our laws.

• Virginians are protected from unsolicited lewds by law until they turn 18.

-Take Action-

Contact Your Virginia Delegate

*this is NOT your Congressman/woman in the US House of Representatives

• Find the contact information for your Virginia Delegate: https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/

• The Unsolicited Lewds bill was introduced in General Assembly 2021, where it passed the House unanimously. Please thank your House Delegate for their vote!

• Let all Delegates know you appreciate their commitment to protecting Virginians from virtual harassment by writing a postcard, sending an email, or calling the office. The complete list of Delegates can be found here: https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/members/members.php

Contact Your Virginia Senator

*this is NOT your US Senator Tim Kaine or Mark Warner

• Find the contact information for your Virginia Senator here: https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/

• After the unanimous House vote, the bill went to the Senate Judiciary Committee. On February 17th, 2021, the following senators killed HB2254, so it never made it out of that committee:
  • Saslaw, Norment, Obenshain, McDougle, Stuart, Petersen, Surovell, and Morrissey
• These senators on that committee supported it:
  • Edwards, Lucas, Deeds, McClellan, and Peake

• If one of the 8 Senators who voted to kill HB2254 is your Senator, it is important that you write him a letter detailing why it is imperative to pass a bill to protect Virginians from virtual harassment. Check our toolkit for examples.

• Virginia Senators emails and phone numbers can be found here:https://apps.senate.virginia.gov/Senator/index.php

Download Resources Below:

Postcarding

Elevator Speech

Contact Your Senator

Draft Letter to a Legislator

Sample Dialogue with your Legislator

How to Write a Letter to the Editor

How to Write an Op-Ed

Spread the Word on Social Media

Unsolicited Lewds - Sample Letter to the Editor

Unsolicited Lewds - Sample Postcard Script