Donate

Menu

Press

Filter by

Protesters Urge Steven Spielberg to Boycott MoMA Over Leon Black’s Epstein Ties

Mention

Protesters Urge Steven Spielberg to Boycott MoMA Over Leon Black’s Epstein Ties

A letter sent to Spielberg by the feminist campaign group We Are UltraViolet, reviewed by Hyperallergic, urges the Academy Award-winning director to boycott MoMA until the institution severs ties with Black and renames the film venue.

“MoMA has benefited so handsomely from Black that they have named the very room you will be honored in, the Debra and Leon Black Family Film Center, in his honor,” reads the missive to Spielberg, authored by Elisa Batista, campaign director of UltraViolet. For the past four iterations of the benefit, MoMA has funneled all proceeds into the film center, which was created in 2019 in recognition of a $40 million gift from the private equity tycoon.

Hyperallergic

The Midterms Changed Who Holds Power. What Comes Next? Congress Must Act Urgently to Address Harms Inflicted on Women and Girls

Mention

The Midterms Changed Who Holds Power. What Comes Next? Congress Must Act Urgently to Address Harms Inflicted on Women and Girls

With Democratic majorities in Congress, lawmakers have a historic opportunity to advance the ERA, protect abortion rights, hold abusers accountable and reverse the Trump administration’s attacks on women and families.

“We didn’t fight this hard just to change who holds power. We fought to change what those in power do with it,” said Arisha Hatch, executive director of UltraViolet, the national gender justice and feminist advocacy organization. “The new Congress is on notice: no more ignoring families struggling to afford basic needs, no more protecting abusers, no more excuses for denying survivors accountability, and no more attacks on our rights. Women made their voices impossible to ignore—now it’s time for Congress to act.”

Ms Magazine

Bill Shine White House Appointment Sparks Social Media Protests

Mention

Bill Shine White House Appointment Sparks Social Media Protests

Meanwhile, women’s organization UltraViolet issued a statement, saying “For years, Bill Shine actively covered up Roger Ailes and Bill O’Reilly’s sexual misconduct at Fox News, created and fostered a toxic work environment at the network, and actively retaliated against women who reported their abuse.
“While certainly disturbing, Fox News’ Bill Shine is an unsurprising pick for the Trump White House. Since taking office, the Trump administration has been a revolving door of abusers of women and their enablers—and Shine is just the latest perpetrator to be added to those ranks.”

Variety

Spotify Cancels ‘Hateful Conduct’ Policy After an Industry Uproar

Mention

Spotify Cancels ‘Hateful Conduct’ Policy After an Industry Uproar

Shaunna Thomas, a co-founder of Ultraviolet, said in an interview on Friday that Spotify’s reversal was “shameful” and “disheartening.”
“There is no consequence for abusing women and they’re just affirming that in a really straightforward way,” she said. “They’ve decided that their bottom line is important.”
Ms. Thomas added that she agreed with the critique that Spotify had been problematic in narrowly targeting only specific black men, but the solution, she said, was “not to reverse the hateful conduct policy, but rather to expand it — to be comprehensive.”
“Women weren’t asking Spotify to play judge and jury,” she said. “We were just asking the company to stop promoting artists that have a documented history of physical and sexual abuse.”

The New York Times

Women’s Rights Group Asks Spotify To Remove Chris Brown And Others From Its Playlists “Your Action Demonstrates Following The Lead Of Black Women”

Mention

Women’s Rights Group Asks Spotify To Remove Chris Brown And Others From Its Playlists “Your Action Demonstrates Following The Lead Of Black Women”

 
On Monday, Executive Director Shaunna Thomas (who is white) penned an open letter to Spotify head Daniel Ek with the belief that their new public Hate Content and Hateful Conduct policy is a step in the right direction, particularly for black women.
“Your action demonstrates that Spotify is following the lead of Black women who demanded that these two men [R. Kelly and XXXTentacion], who have sexually and physically abused women for years, not be promoted and celebrated,” it reads.
And before you assume that the organization is only coming for black or black-adjacent artists and music, they’re also imploring Spotify to remove The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Don Henley of The Eagles, Ted Nugent and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. (Yea, they’re not playing).

MadameNoire

Women’s Advocacy Group Wants Spotify to Also Pull Chris Brown, Eminem & Others From Curated Playlists

Mention

Women’s Advocacy Group Wants Spotify to Also Pull Chris Brown, Eminem & Others From Curated Playlists

Women’s advocacy group Ultraviolet is applauding Spotify’s new policy banning hate content and hateful conduct that has brought with it high profile removals of R. Kelly and XXXTentacion from curated playlists, but in an open letter published Monday (May 14) is also asking for more.

As well as R. Kelly and XXXTentacion, the letter written by Ultraviolet executive director Shaunna Thomas requests that Spotify take action against other artists who have been accused of sexual misconduct, including Chris Brown, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nelly, Eminem and others.

Billboard

Activists Gather at Google’s Developer Conference to Protest Maps Results for Sham Abortion Clinics

Mention

Activists Gather at Google’s Developer Conference to Protest Maps Results for Sham Abortion Clinics

“Google is complicit in luring vulnerable, pregnant women to anti-abortion centers posing as legitimate reproductive health clinics that deceive, lie to, and shame them out of abortions,” Shaunna Thomas, co-founder of UltraViolet, said in a press release. “Users trust Google to be an honest broker here. The company must take action immediately to uphold its advertising policy and ensure abortion care search results are accurate.”

Gizmodo

Pro-choice activists followed Google employees on their way to work this week to call attention to a little-known problem with search results

Mention

Pro-choice activists followed Google employees on their way to work this week to call attention to a little-known problem with search results

Karin Roland, chief campaigns officer for UltraViolet, said her organization has been in talks with Google for four years trying to get ads for what she calls “fake clinics” removed from Google search results and Google Maps.
“Women are seeking medical information, and Google is sending them to clinics that not only don’t actually provide what they claim to — but are actively trying to trick and mislead women,” Roland said.

Business Insider

Trump Could Testify in ‘Apprentice’ Defamation Case After Judge’s Ruling

Mention

Trump Could Testify in ‘Apprentice’ Defamation Case After Judge’s Ruling

The ruling to push forward with Zervos’ case “is an important victory,” Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of UltraViolet, an organization fighting sexism, said in a statement.
“More than 20 women have accused Donald Trump of sexual assault and harassment. Just as he has tried to do with Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, Trump has tried to threaten and silence these women,” Chaudhary stated. “As we have seen over the last few weeks, these women will no longer be silent and that should scare the daylights out of Donald Trump.”

Newsweek

Trump Signs Olympic Sexual Abuse Bill Amid His Own Scandals
Photo of bill sponsor California Sen. Dianne Feinstein

Mention

Trump Signs Olympic Sexual Abuse Bill Amid His Own Scandals

“Protecting children from sexual abuse must be a top priority for everyone in this country, and this bill is an important first step. We support this bill and are glad it is now law,” said Nita Chaudhary, cofounder of UltraViolet, a national women’s rights organization.
“But watching Donald Trump…be the one to sign this legislation into law is deeply disturbing. Trump has abused, insulted, assaulted, and harassed women throughout his entire life. In the last week alone, Trump repeatedly supported and sympathized with abusers over the survivors of abuse, and all amid reports that he feels the #MeToo movement is bad for businesses. The idea that he can sit in the White House and pretend to be a champion for the abused is absurd.”

Refinery29

Women’s Group Sends President Trump a Powerful Message—Projected Onto His Own Hotel

Mention

Women’s Group Sends President Trump a Powerful Message—Projected Onto His Own Hotel

“DONALD TRUMP HARASSED OR ASSAULTED TWENTY WOMEN. CONGRESS: INVESTIGATE TRUMP. #SOTU”
That’s the message that women’s group Ultra Violet projected onto the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., tonight ahead of President Trump’s first State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress. UltraViolet describes itself as “a 1,000,000 strong community that leverages high-profile media moments to hold decision makers accountable, create a cost for sexism, and shine a light on the people and policies that are improving all women’s lives.” And boy, did they take advantage of tonight’s high-profile moment.

Glamour

Load More

Close

Donate