Passing the Equal Rights Amendment is long overdue! In 2017 Virginia women have proven their political clout and their dedication to raising their voices to be heard on all issues. Constitutional equality for women and men is a national and international concern. We must make Virginia a leader in this fight! It's time for equality for women to become the law of our land--starting with Virginia!

Charges against Al Franken are clearly bogus. No one was hurt; no one was pressured to do anything against their will. There is a vast difference between two adults in front of a camera and a lecher and a young girl in a car behind a dumpster or a president viewing all women as targets for his own lechery. The rush to judgment on Franken devalues all the real sexual predator charges brought against others.

I've had enough! Sexual predators at all levels of our government but particularly in the very highest levels should be just as accountable for their actions. Many of us believed Anita Hill at the time but in "the old days" this kind of behavior was pushed under the table. We need to right the wrongs of the past, in addition to dealing with those of the present. Please join!

I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. I kept my secret for 55 years. With all the women coming forward, I feel their pain but I also feel the strength and pride of my “sisters”.

I have never seen a petition about these two specific issues together and I think it's about time one was created.

Girls and women need the means and training to defend themselves. Saying "no" and running and hiding is no defense.

Amazon Studios, with its own troubling history of sexual harassment by senior staff [1] and talent they've represented, is celebrating the #MeToo movement by distributing [2] a movie produced by a man credibly accused of molesting his daughter, and denied custody on that basis. [3] Why should victims of sexual assault continue to be told by the actions of our major cultural institutions that if a man is wealthy and famous enough, he can continue to have a career as a prominent tastemaker and trendsetter even after demonstrating that they're a public safety threat? Why must we continue to have the stories [4] that shape society told by men with no regard for the dignity or rights of others? Please do better. [1] - "Amazon Studios ousts its scripted and unscripted entertainment heads" https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2017/10/24/execjoelewisoutatamazonstudios/793829001/ [2] - "Woody Allen’s ‘Wonder Wheel’ Scores December Release (EXCLUSIVE)" http://variety.com/2017/film/awards/woody-allen-wonder-wheel-justin-timberlake-1202462903/ [3] - "Dylan Farrow: Why has the #MeToo revolution spared Woody Allen?" http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-farrow-woody-allen-me-too-20171207-story.html [4] - "Woody Allen’s New Movie Isn’t a Confession. It’s Something Much More Damaging." http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2017/12/01/woody_allen_s_wonder_wheel_plays_like_a_confession.html

Americans have a right to know how Congress is spending their tax dollars, and this hush money used to hide deplorable conduct by Members and their staffs is no exception. That's why Congress must immediately pass legislation that prohibits lawmakers from using their Members Representational Allowances -- or any other public funds -- to settle sexual harassment cases. Furthermore, we call on Congressional leadership in both parties to publicly disclose the names of Members of Congress and congressional staff who have used their offices' funds or any other account to pay sexual harassment or misconduct settlements. In doing so, victims' identities must be protected, unless they decide to reveal their names, and the date on which the settlement took place must be kept private to protect victims. The opacity of how Congress handles harassment claims has enabled continued repulsive behavior to occur by Members and staff in the "People's House." Ultimately, if congressional budgets were more transparent, heightened attention to harassment and misconduct settlements may have helped prevent some of these heinous acts. We demand that Congress act now to stop using their taxpayer-funded office budgets from being spent to settle sexual harassment lawsuits -- and publicly disclose the name of all Members who have done so.

In light of the current sexual abuse and assault scandals, including staffers in Trump's White House as well as Matt Lauer at NBC, it's time that Mark Burnett releases NBC's 'Apprentice Tapes' to make Donald Trump accountable for his actions.

Now, twenty-two women have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment or assault against Donald Trump. Most recently, a renowned columnist, E. Jean Carroll has come forward and shared her own account of sexually inappropriate behavior from Donald Trump in the 90s. According to E. Jean, Donald Trump sexually assaulted her in the fitting room of Bergdorf Goodman. In her own words, "The minute he closed the door — boom — he threw me against the wall and tried to kiss me. I fought," she said. "It was shocking. It was against my will." As is expected, Donald Trump has denied any such allegations, but how can we trust a man that has been caught on video gloating about grabbing women by their private parts? E. Jean Carroll is the 22nd woman to come forward and describe her own experiences of sexually inappropriate behavior from the sitting president. It is long past time to just listen to women. Action needs to be taken by those in power. The Justice Department, Congress, and NY Attorney General's Office need to open up an investigation looking into the sexual assault and harassment allegations against Donald Trump. **This petition was launched in November 2017 but has been updated as women have come forward with new allegations.

The flaw in our nation’s background check system is increasingly evident, as the program is only as good as the information provided to it. When records prohibiting domestic abusers from gun possession are excluded, dangerous individuals are able to obtain guns and do harm to our communities. The Fix NICS Act will help to save the lives of victims of domestic violence and the communities in which they live, by ensuring that domestic violence records are entered properly and consistently into the background check system, and that federal and state authorities accurately report relevant criminal history records in accordance with existing law. Specifically, the bill mandates that the number of records being entered (along with the number not being entered) be publicly reported on the U.S. Department of Justice website, informed by Attorney General and Department of Defense input. Federal agencies who fail to properly report records will be penalized, states who improve reporting will be incentivized, and additional federal funding will be directed to accurate reporting. We urge you to sign this petition in support of this bill, to address a nationwide, systemic problem and ultimately protect women, children and men from future harm.

To de-incentivize hush money payments in sexual harassment cases.