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Lawmakers want ‘stealthing’ classified as rape

October 4, 2017

Two US legislators are making a push for Congress to classify "stealthing" as rape.

On Wednesday, two Democratic members of Congress — Ro Khanna of California and Carolyn Maloney of New York — sent a letter, obtained by Buzzfeed, to the House Judiciary Committee requesting its members hold a hearing in order to better understand and discuss the legal actions victims can take.

"Stealthing" occurs when a man removes his condom during intercourse without consent from his partner. The act was first named in a paper published by Alexandra Brodsky in May, in which she argued that it should be treated as a form of sexual assault.

In her paper, Brodsky also cited the existence of an online community that believes it's a man's right to "spread one's seed" and encourages men to "stealth" their partners.

Consequences of "stealthing" include STDs and unplanned pregnancies, in addition to mental and emotional trauma, all of which are outlined in the letter to the Judiciary Committee.

"Nonconsensual condom removal during sexual intercourse is a disgraceful practice that is incredibly dangerous for victims," Khanna and Maloney wrote. "We believe this issue calls for swift action to solicit testimony from experts in the field and begin considering policymaking options."