In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention month, Mariska Hargitay, the beautiful, bad ass actor and activist famous for her role as Detective Olivia Benson, has joined forces with USA Network to say “NO MORE” to sexual assault and domestic violence.
In collaboration with Hargitay’s foundation, Joyful Heart, the “No More” public awareness campaign, and the cast of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, USA will be holding a 16-hour “No More Excuses” marathon on Sunday, April 27th from 10am-2am ET, to galvanize awareness for sexual assault and domestic violence. In addition to frequent “NO MORE” PSA’s led by the cast and other allied celebrities like, Amy Poehler, Jemima Kirke, and Katie Couric, the marathon will run episodes that address issues of various forms of sexual assault and domestic violence. Each episode will also provide additional, reliable information, resources, and social media platforms that welcome further discussion about ways to prevent sexual violence and abuse.
Mariska Hargitay expressed how grateful she is, “to USA for their courage, vision and generosity in joining us to say NO MORE to domestic violence and sexual assault…being part of NO MORE from the beginning has been a great privilege. Society continues to misplace shame and blame on survivors – both women and men. That has to end. NO MORE confronts the myths and excuses that perpetuate domestic violence and sexual assault. I am filled with confidence and renewed determination that, together, we can and will put an end to this violence.”
NO MORE is a public awareness movement focused on sexual assault prevention. NO MORE stands as a symbol of solidarity and support for the fight to end sexual violence. The “NO MORE excuses” PSAs being featured in the SVU marathon seek to change the conversation about sexual assault’s social stigmas by exhibiting the various “excuses” often uttered in the context of such violence. By reworking these social norms, improving public policies, and developing more reliable resources dedicated to prevention and awareness, the collaboration between these organizations will hopefully have a profound affect on the fight to end sexual assault and domestic violence.
For more information, check out NO MORE’s website: www.nomore.org.
Images courtesy of NO MORE, Joyful Heart, Tumblr, and TV by the Numbers.
