FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Together, We Rise: Defending Our Right to Justice and Truth

WASHINGTON, DC, November 12, 2024 — This past week, I’ve been reflecting on and grieving the election results. Tuesday’s outcome was heartbreaking—a stark reminder of how some Americans are turning away from the ideals of democracy. As someone who believes deeply in the power of the human spirit to strive for justice and truth, it’s painful to see so many seemingly choose ignorance and division. But as the saying goes, “it’s always darkest before dawn.” In every story where good overcomes evil, it’s at the darkest hour that hope and resolve are strongest.

The road ahead will be challenging, and my heart aches for those who will be most impacted. My ancestors, the Piscataway-Conoy people, are survivors of America’s first genocide, and I know that each of us carries the strength of our own ancestral and personal battles. This resilience, this refusal to give up in the face of adversity, is what unites us.

Darkness only prevails if we allow it. SIECUS has spent 60 years fighting for the right to affirm sexuality and reproduction as natural, essential parts of human identity. In recent years, we have stood strong with advocates across the nation, opposing harmful policies and advancing bipartisan legislation that protects bodily autonomy and access to critical information and care. With your support, we will keep fighting—for another 60 years and beyond—until comprehensive, inclusive sex education is a reality for all, honoring each individual’s humanity and freedom.

Thank you, always, for your courage and support. We see you. We stand with you. And together, we will keep pushing forward.

In solidarity,

Christine Soyong Harley
President and CEO
SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change

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About SIECUS:

SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change has served as a leading national voice for sex education since 1964, asserting that sexuality is a fundamental part of being human, one worthy of dignity and respect. Through advocacy, policy and coalition building, SIECUS advances sex education as a vehicle for social change—where all people receive sex education, are affirmed in their identities, and have power to make decisions about their own health, pleasure, and wholeness.