Progressive and Women’s Organizations Release Statement Endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for President in 2024
()FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, July 22, 2024
CONTACT: Brett Abrams | brett@unbendablemedia.com
Progressive and Women’s Organizations Release Statement Endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for President in 2024
“There is nobody more able to stand up for our freedoms than Vice President Kamala Harris — from the freedom to make decisions about our own bodies, to the freedom to live safe from gun violence, the freedom to vote, the freedom to marry who you want, the freedom to care for our families affordably and have upward economic mobility, the freedom to live free from sexual violence, and the freedom to drink clean water and breathe clean air. Harris has dedicated her career to helping everyday Americans and she has proven time and again that she will stand up to powerful interests and fight for Americans’ right to make their own decisions.
“When the freedoms of women and people all over America are under attack, Vice President Kamala Harris is the leading voice in the Biden Administration to restore abortion rights — the issue galvanizing voters in red states and blue. Harris understands fundamentally what the fight for reproductive freedom is about — that people decide, not politicians — and she’s campaigned in 20 states calling on women to vote to protect their rights from government interference.
“We have a clear choice this year. Donald Trump’s campaign is about ripping us apart and taking away
our freedoms. Kamala Harris will continue working for the American people, to bring Americans from all walks of life together for a better life. We are proud to stand with a candidate this qualified, this accomplished, and this ready for the moment. We are proud to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for President.”
Signed,
Shaunna Thomas, UltraViolet Action
Adrienne Kimmel, Reproductive Freedom For All
Melissa Williams, EMILYs List Women Vote
Glynda C. Carr, Higher Heights for America PAC
Randi Weingarten, AFT
Adrianne Shropshire, BlackPAC
Melissa Morales, Somos PAC
Annie Weinberg, National Women’s Law Center Action Fund
Stephanie Taylor, Progressive Change Campaign Committee
April Verrett, SEIU
Jenn Stowe, Care in Action
Leah Greenberg, Indivisible Action
Rahna Epting, MoveOn
Lauren Groh-Wargo, Fair Fight
Tiffany Muller, End Citizens United / Let America Vote
Tory Gavito, Way to Win
Christina Harvey, Stand Up America
Jamie Carter, DemCast USA
Rachel O’Leary Carmona, Women’s March WIN
Maggie Jo Buchanan, Demand Justice PAC
Orlando Gonzales, HRC Equality Votes PAC
Nourbese Flint, All Action PAC
Rashad Robinson, Color of Change PAC
Nisha Anand, Rebuild The Dream
UltraViolet and the Inclusion Playbook Release New “Women’s Sports Media Guide” Offering a Comprehensive Approach on How to Cover Women’s Athletics With Integrity and Respect
()FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, July 18, 2024
CONTACT: Brett Abrams | brett@unbendablemedia.com
UltraViolet and the Inclusion Playbook Release New “Women’s Sports Media Guide” Offering a Comprehensive Approach on How to Cover Women’s Athletics With Integrity and Respect
Guide Comes Ahead of Major Moments for Women’s Athletics This Summer, Including the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game and Summer Olympics in Paris
Guide Lays Out Best Practices to Dismantle Outdated Stereotypes and Highlight Athletic Achievements As Women’s Sports Sees Record-Breaking Visibility
Today, UltraViolet, the nation’s largest online feminist organization, and the Inclusion Playbook, a sports impact organization that works with leaders to transform their communities in and through sports, have released a new “Women’s Sports Media Guide” offering a comprehensive approach to covering women’s athletics with integrity and respect.
The guide, which comes as women’s athletics are experiencing record-breaking visibility and attendance, lays out a series of best practices that reporters and commentators can use to appropriately highlight the achievements of women in sports and dismantle outdated stereotypes.
VIEW THE WOMEN’S SPORTS MEDIA GUIDE HERE: https://weareultraviolet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/UV-IP-Womens-Sports-Media-Guide.pdf
UltraViolet and the Inclusion Playbook are releasing “Women’s Sports Media Guide” ahead of some of the biggest moments in women’s athletics this summer, including the WNBA All-Star Game on July 20th, and the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where there will be gender parity on the field of play for the first time. Historically, women’s sports have received significantly less media attention – only 6% of sports media coverage – but with the rise of streaming and social media, that number has jumped to 15% of sports media coverage in 2023.
The guide explains that proper coverage of women’s sports is critical to promoting greater athletic participation among women and girls, but also helps combat stereotypes and biases that foster a fair and balanced view of women’s capabilities and achievements. Quality reporting on women’s sports not only helps shift public perspective and foster a more inclusive culture, both in sports and society at large, but also helps lead to better funding, opportunities, and resources for women’s athletics. To that end, the guide makes 10 core recommendations for journalists and commentators who are hoping to deliver thoughtful and impactful sports coverage.
To that end, the guide makes 10 core recommendations, such as not using unnecessarily gendered language, for journalists and commentators who are hoping to deliver thoughtful and impactful sports coverage.
“Far too often, the media fails to accurately represent the people they portray – and when that bias invades real-world forums like news broadcasts and sports reporting it takes on an especially insidious nature with specific harms for marginalized communities, including women, people of color, disabled people, and LGBTQ+ individuals,” explained Kathy Plate, Managing Director at UltraViolet. “Proper coverage of women and people of color helps combat these biases – allowing women in all spaces – business, politics, sports – to exist as themselves, and be seen for their capabilities and achievements. From politics, to business, to sports – quality reporting helps shift public perception and foster a more inclusive culture.”
“The women’s sports landscape is evolving rapidly and elevating to a new level,” said Ashland Johnson, President and Founder of the Inclusion Playbook. “Reporters and analysts have a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful, culture-shifting conversations that allow coverage of women’s sports to evolve as well. This guide gives people the tools they need to ensure that women’s sports — and women in sports — are talked about in an inclusive, equitable, and respectful way. It is for people who are new to this space and veterans who want to expand on their existing playbooks.”
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UltraViolet Action on Rising Political Violence Following Attempted Assassination of Donald Trump
()FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sunday, July 14, 2024
CONTACT: Brett Abrams | brett@unbendablemedia.com
UltraViolet Action on Rising Political Violence Following Attempted Assassination of Donald Trump
Statement from Nicole Regalado, Vice President of Campaigns at UltraViolet, the largest online feminist organization in the United States:
“Violence has no place in our political process and weapons of war have no place in our communities. We unequivocally condemn violence in all of its forms – in all spaces, in all contexts and against all individuals.
“This is a difficult time for our country. In the coming days, we must remember that we all deserve to live our lives, move through our communities, and engage in our political process peacefully, and without the threat of violence. We affirm our commitment to a peaceful political process, and encourage all of our leaders to join us in speaking out against political violence both physical and rhetorical in no uncertain terms.
“Together, we must avoid sharing or amplifying misinformation and disinformation that could further incite violence. We cannot let bad actors use this to divide us and stoke fear and hate in our communities.
“We must also take the important steps to protect each other – and make this a country where no one fears for their lives or their loved ones’ lives. That starts with removing horrific weapons of war from our communities so they cannot be used against students, politicians, movie goers, or attendees of a political rally.”
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UltraViolet Expresses Concern Over Jeff Shell’s Appointment as President of Skydance As Company Plans Takeover of Paramount Global
()FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, July 10, 2024
CONTACT: Brett Abrams | brett@unbendablemedia.com
UltraViolet Expresses Concern Over Jeff Shell’s Appointment as President of Skydance As Company Plans Takeover of Paramount Global
Says Appointing Shell, Who was Fired from NBCUniversal After Sexual Harassing a Female Employee, Could Put Other Women in Danger; Urges Company to Reconsider
Earlier this week, it was announced that Skydance Media would invest $8 billion in a takeover of Paramount Global and that Skydance’s David Ellison would be chairman and CEO, and former NBCUniversal chief Jeff Shell would lead the company as president.
Jeff Shell was removed as CEO of NBCUniversal after he admitted to an “inappropriate relationship” with a woman in the company, after the woman filed a complaint against Shell citing sexual harassment and sex discrimination, and an investigation corroborated those claims.
Nicole Regalado, Vice President of Campaigns at UltraViolet, the nation’s largest online feminist organization, issued the following statement reacting to Jeff Shell being named as President.
“It is deeply disappointing that one of Skydance’s first announcements after it confirmed that it would begin the process of acquiring Paramount Global would be to appoint a man fired for sexual harassment to the new company’s top job.
“We urge Skydance to reconsider its appointment of Jeff Shell to serve as President of the company. Doing so would send the wrong message to women that their safety and wellbeing is at risk.”
UltraViolet had previously called for Shell to be fired from NBCUniversal following the investigation, and praised the decision after they removed Shell for cause.
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UltraViolet Responds to EMTALA Unofficial Ruling: Court Fails to Affirm Right to Emergency Care for Pregnant People
()FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 26, 2025
CONTACT: Brett Abrams | brett@unbendablemedia.com
UltraViolet Responds to EMTALA Unofficial Ruling: Court Fails to Affirm Right to Emergency Care for Pregnant People
Statement from Nicole Regalado, Vice President of Campaigns, at UltraViolet, the nation’s largest online feminist organization:
After what appears to be a copy of the U.S. Supreme Court’s EMTALA ruling was published briefly on the Court’s website today, we at UltraViolet are outraged that the Republican-stacked Court would dismiss this opportunity to make clear that pregnant people in crisis have the right to receive emergency abortion care, not just to save their lives, but to prevent grave bodily harm, future infertility, and significant mental health consequences. As Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson noted in the apparent ruling, this decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho or other states with abortion bans, it’s merely a delay.
Ensuring that the law does not force medical providers to deny life-saving treatment to pregnant patients who require emergency abortion care is crucial. However, in practice, it is extremely difficult for doctors to navigate emergency abortion exceptions for the “health of the mother,” and people still face serious risks while pregnant when denied full access to abortion.
The fact that the EMTALA case made it to the highest court demonstrates just how radical the Christian nationalist agenda is, how far these extremists are willing to go to end abortion access, and why it is absolutely critical that we defend our right to bodily autonomy on all fronts. We must hold accountable the corporations funding the MAGA Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) whose members have brought this and many other cases to decimate abortion access. We must squash federal and state laws restricting abortion rights, and we must establish equal rights under the Constitution so that no one faces sex- or gender-based discrimination in health care decisions.
EMTALA was implemented to ensure that any person in need of emergency medical care could access it, regardless of their financial situation. We know that anti-abortion politicians brought this case to the Supreme Court because abortion IS a form of emergency medical care. They know that, and we know that. This is the second time in two years that a Supreme Court ruling on abortion care has been divulged before official release.
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UltraViolet Hails Unanimous Supreme Court Decision Protecting Access to the Abortion Pill Mifepristone
()FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, June 13, 2024
CONTACT: Brett Abrams | brett@unbendablemedia.com
UltraViolet Hails Unanimous Supreme Court Decision Protecting Access to the Abortion Pill Mifepristone
Statement from Nicole Regalado, Vice President of Campaigns, at UltraViolet, the nation’s largest online feminist organization:
“The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision today to uphold the FDA’s authority to regulate medications like the abortion pill mifepristone is a win for the people and the Constitution.
“For months, everyday people across the country shined a spotlight on this unprecedented attempt to undermine the FDA’s authority and restrict access to safe, life-saving medication for hundreds of thousands of women and pregnant people. We took to the streets in Texas to put Judge Kazcmaryk on notice, kept the pressure on pharmacies to provide mifepristone, and combatted medical disinformation online.
“This case was always about whether the Supreme Court would prioritize the political, religious, and ideological beliefs of a few of the most powerful men in this country, or the health and wellbeing of everyday people.
“This time, they did not, but we will not be fooled into complacency by this ruling.
“This case was weak and had no standing – it does not mean that the Supreme Court is reversing its efforts to curtail access to abortion access. Without a doubt, the conservative cadre of justices that control the Supreme Court is simply biding its time to do whatever it can to ban abortion nationwide, criminalizing medical providers and pregnant patients. UltraViolet members will continue to show up for abortion rights and hold bad actors accountable for stripping women and gender-expansive people of our inherent right to bodily autonomy.
“This ruling today should serve as a green light to pharmaceutical providers that stocking mifepristone is the right decision, their moral obligation, and a decision protected by the full power of the Constitution.”
Over 125,000 people have signed petitions from UltraViolet calling on US pharmacies to provide abortion medications to all customers.
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After Megan Thee Stallion Was Targeted by Sexually-Explicit Deepfakes, Women’s Group Renews Demand that Google Remove “MrDeepFake” from Search Results
()FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, June 12, 2024
CONTACT: Brett Abrams | brett@unbendablemedia.com
After Megan Thee Stallion Was Targeted by Sexually-Explicit Deepfakes, Women’s Group Renews Demand that Google Remove “MrDeepFake” from Search Results
Last week, a sexually explicit deepfake video of Megan Thee Stallion, which was made without her consent, circulated on X, garnering tens of thousands of views and being reposted by multiple accounts. While the video was ultimately removed, Megan Thee Stallion is just the latest celebrity to be targeted by this type of online harassment – highlighting just how pervasive this form of abuse has become.
Reacting to the news, UltraViolet, the nation’s largest online feminist community, reiterated its call for Google, which is responsible for more than a third of all traffic to deepfake pornography platforms on the internet, to immediately act, and remove MrDeepFake, one of the largest platforms for non-consensual sexually-explicit images from its search results.
Nicole Regalado, Vice President of Campaigns at UltraViolet, explained:
“Women have always had to suffer from sexually explicit harassment and non-consensual exploitation – but deepfake technology has radically changed and supercharged this abuse into a national epidemic.
“Sadly, the harassment of Megan Thee Stallion mirrors the experiences of tens of thousands of women across the country – who have had sexually explicit deepfake videos made without their consent.
“Platforms like Google supercharge the spread of non-consensual sexual deepfakes that are used to humiliate girls and women, especially women in power.
“We know that deepfake-created images, which often involve superimposing an individual’s face onto explicit content without their consent, not only violate privacy by undermining an individual’s right to control their image, but also normalize sexual exploitation and reinforce harmful stereotypes about gender, sexuality, and consent. By reducing people to objects for sexual gratification, non-consensual sexual deepfakes perpetuate a culture of exploitation and dehumanization while eroding the integrity of digital media and trust in online information sources.”
More than 10,000 people have signed onto an UltraViolet petition urging Google and other major platforms to act. UltraViolet also endorses the Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act of 2024 (DEFIANCE Act) legislation that would hold accountable those responsible for the proliferation of nonconsensual, sexually explicit “deepfake” images and videos.
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Women’s Group Says Pat McAfee’s Apology for Racist & Sexist Comments on WNBA Players & Caitlin Clark is Insufficient
()FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, June 4, 2024
CONTACT: Brett Abrams | brett@unbendablemedia.com
Women’s Group Says Pat McAfee’s Apology for Racist & Sexist Comments on WNBA Players & Caitlin Clark is Insufficient
Warns McAfee Has Pattern of Promoting Problematic Falsehoods; Urges ESPN & Disney to Fire Host
Statement from Kathy Plate, spokesperson for UltraViolet, a leading national gender justice organization:
“Pat McAfee’s apology for his racist and sexist comments about Caitlin Clark and other WNBA players is insufficient. The simple reality is that even if McAfee meant what he said as a compliment – he should know that referring to any professional athlete with a misogynistic or racial epithet is never a compliment and shouldn’t be done.
“But it’s about more than just the specific words he chose to describe Caitlin Clark. His entire segment, which he has said he stands behind and doesn’t apologize for, was used to downplay the contributions of other WNBA rookies including Angel Reese, and perpetuate a dangerous narrative rooted in misogynoir that the WNBA, a league dominated by Black women for years, is being “saved” by Clark, when both profits and viewership have been on the rise prior to the start of this season.
“Coupled with McAfee’s pattern of promoting problematic falsehoods – including platforming Aaron Rodgers and allowing him to spread conspiracy theories about the coronavirus or Jeffrey Epstein – demonstrate that McAfee simply does not have the necessary judgment that sports fans deserve.
“Not only does McAfee deserve to be fired, but Disney needs to ensure that ESPN commits to a culture where commentators will no longer be allowed to spew sexist and racist remarks. That should be the minimum standard that sports fans should expect from their commentators and that ESPN and Disney should expect from their hosts. It is hard to ask for anything less when we recall that ESPN is the same network that suspended Jemele Hill for calling President Trump a white supremacist.
“We urge ESPN and Disney to fire Pat McAfee and take action to clean up its news room and frankly do a better job of covering women’s sports in an unbiased way.”
Tens of thousands of UltraViolet members have signed a petition urging major broadcasters like ESPN, Warner, and Ion to stop underpaying the WNBA (and other women’s athletic leagues) and pay more for the WNBA’s broadcast rights in the upcoming 2025 contract.
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UltraViolet Reacts to the Overturning of Harvey Weinstein’s New York Rape Conviction
()FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, April 25, 2024
CONTACT: Brett Abrams | brett@unbendablemedia.com
UltraViolet Reacts to the Overturning of Harvey Weinstein’s New York Rape Conviction
Calls for New York Prosecutors to Move Swiftly to Retry Weinstein
Statement from Shaunna Thomas, co-founder and executive director of UltraViolet, a leading national gender justice organization and whistleblower on Harvey Weinstein:
“The overturning of Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction is absurd, shameful and dangerous. It is also just the latest reminder that our criminal justice system does not take sexual violence cases seriously and that the majority of survivors of sexual abuse are often not served by our courts.
“Let’s be clear – Harvey Weinstein is a serial sexual predator who was fairly convicted. There is no doubt that he committed the crimes that he was accused of.
“We urge New York prosecutors to remedy this injustice and move swiftly to retry Weinstein in the event that the survivors involved wish to proceed.
“We stand with the survivors in disbelief, grief, and outrage. We are with you.”
Shaunna was the first to suggest to The New York Times’ Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey that Harvey Weinstein be investigated for sexual abuse and UltraViolet has been a leading voice in the accountability movement for powerful abusers, including Weinstein.
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UltraViolet Receives Multi-Million, Multi-Year Investment from the Ford Foundation in BUILD Grant
()FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, April 24, 2024
CONTACT: Brett Abrams | brett@unbendablemedia.com
UltraViolet Receives Multi-Million, Multi-Year Investment from the Ford Foundation in BUILD Grant
WASHINGTON, DC — UltraViolet is proud to announce a new commitment from the Ford Foundation to invest $4M over five years through the Ford Foundation’s Building Institutions and Networks (BUILD) program. The Ford Foundation’s BUILD program seeks to empower organizations addressing systemic inequality by providing substantial financial support and capacity-building resources.
The Ford Foundation’s generous investment in UltraViolet, the nation’s leading gender justice campaigning organization, is an investment in preserving our democracy.
The backlash to feminism has been extreme, hostile and well-funded, and the gender justice movement must be ready to ensure the significant strides that BIPOC women, LGBTQ+ people and feminists have made are protected and expanding. There is renewed momentum for gender justice–spanning generations of feminists–to protect access to reproductive health care and fight abortion disinformation, dismantle sexism and racism in the media and online, and hold powerful corporations and people accountable to feminist values. UltraViolet’s selection for the BUILD grant underscores UltraViolet’s impactful work, capacity for growth and acceleration, and UltraViolet’s role as a leader in the gender justice movement.
Through the BUILD Program, the Ford Foundation will provide steady support to UltraViolet over the next five years, ensuring we have the institutional strength and resilience to advance feminist cultural and systemic change, and to create the conditions for a more gender-just future for all.
“We are excited to provide long-term support to UltraViolet as part of our commitment to investing in the sustainability of institutions that are leading the way for reproductive justice at this crucial moment,” said Silvia Henriquez, program officer for Reproductive Justice at the Ford Foundation. “Investing in the resilience of social movements is core to our work at the Ford Foundation and we look forward to seeing what UltraViolet accomplishes in the years to come.”
VIEW MORE ABOUT THE FORD FOUNDATION’S BUILD GRANTS HERE: https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/building-institutions-and-networks/how-it-works/
“UltraViolet and the Ford Foundation have been partners in social justice for over a decade and we are thrilled and honored to be entrusted with a BUILD grant,” explained Shaunna Thomas, co-founder and executive director of UltraViolet. “This BUILD program will allow UltraViolet to focus on strengthening the foundation of our organization, from which we will be better able to create the transformative feminist future we believe in.”
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UltraViolet is a leading national gender justice organization in the US with a multiracial, multi-generational, gender-diverse community of more than 1 million members, spanning all 50 states. As the largest feminist campaigning organization in the United States, UltraViolet combines organizing, technology, creative campaigning, and people power to make the dream of gender justice a reality.
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