Newsletter: June 2022

Dear Friend,

We have incredible news to share.

When we formed Lift Our Voices almost three years ago, we vowed to end the culture of toxicity that has plagued too many American workplaces. Too many workers across this country have been pushed out of their jobs and their chosen careers after being subjected to the silencing mechanisms that protect abusers at the expense of survivors.

So, you can imagine how excited we are to announce that the SPEAK OUT Act was introduced in the House of Representatives last week. This bipartisan legislation bans the use of workplace nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) that prevent survivors and witnesses of sexual harassment and assault from speaking about their experiences. We are deeply grateful to Reps. Lois Frankel, Ken Buck, Jerrold Nadler, David Cicilline, Pramila Jayapal, Morgan Griffith, and Cheri Bustos for leading this important effort.

Building upon the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, which was signed into law by President Biden earlier this year, the SPEAK OUT Act allows survivors of sexual harassment and assault to finally share their stories with friends and family. It lets them warn colleagues about abusers in their midst. It is an important step in holding workplace predators accountable.

For the second time this year, we will show the nation that Democrats and Republicans can join together to protect American workers from toxicity. Like our landmark law to ban forced arbitration for sexual harassment and assault, this legislation is also supported by members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. Simply put, protecting survivors from abuse and harassment is not a partisan issue. We are proud to stand with the members of Congress who have introduced this bipartisan legislation and are excited to get this bill to President Biden’s desk for signature.

The Washington Post has a wonderful write-up on the legislation here.

This month, we were also honored to share our mission with several influential audiences. We spoke before the United Nations Foundation as part of Five for 5: Policies and Practices for Women’s Inclusion and Safety in the Workplace. And Gretchen joined the Conference Board’s Committee for Economic Development in Washington, D.C. to discuss the landmark law to end forced arbitration for sexual harassment and assault.

As always, thank you for your support and for being with us on this journey to change workplace culture in America. We could not do it without your encouragement and generosity. While we have accomplished a great deal in a short time, much more remains to be done. We are energized and ready to work.

— Gretchen Carlson and Julie Roginsky | Co-Founders, Lift Our Voices