ICYMI, "stealthing," or secretly removing a condom without the consent of your partner, has been on the rise recently. Luckily, lawmakers in two states are already working to get "stealthing" legally classified as what it actually is: sexual assault.
NBC News reports that Rep. Melissa Sargent of Wisconsin proposed bill LRB3346 earlier this month, which explicitly states that if, "an actor removes a sexually protective device such as a condom before or during sexual intercourse or other sexual contact without his or her partner's permission, there has been no valid consent to that sexual act."
Sargent told NBC News that since proposing the legislation, she's had multiple college students from the University of Wisconsin, Madison (which is part of her district), reach out to her to tell their stories about their experiences as victims of stealthing.
"This behavior is predatory and disturbing, and people should know we not only find it reprehensible, but that we won't tolerate it," she told NBC. "Ignoring it is simply not an option."
Other states are clearly already taking note (as they should be): the Los Angeles Times reports that California assemblywoman Cristina Garcia introduced a similar bill in her state, which would also make removing or tampering with a condom during sex a form of rape.
Previously, there was no legislation that specifically covered this type of sexual assault - leaving many victims especially confused and unsure about what happened to them and what they could do about it. Thankfully, these new laws send a clear message that stealthing isn't acceptable and won't be tolerated.
