Why is a kink organization teaching a class on defamation law? And how is it relevant to you?
We believe in a future where excellent consent is the norm throughout the kink world, but defamation lawsuits stand between us and that future.
It is increasingly common for predators and abusers to use defamation lawsuits to silence their accusers. This abuse of the legal system can be devastatingly effective: even a groundless lawsuit can cost upwards of $10,000 to defend against. Defamation lawsuits have become a serious threat to anyone who does consent activism as well as anyone who simply wants to name their abuser.
This class will help you navigate this dangerous terrain:
Defamation law. We can’t fix the US legal system, but we can help you understand it. Chapters one and two will explain the basics of defamation law and talk about what happens during a lawsuit.
Risk-Aware Activism. Just as Risk-Aware Consensual Kink is a helpful framework for navigating the risks associated with kink, Risk-Aware Activism will help you make smart choices about managing your legal risk. Chapters three and four offer best practices for responding to threats and making good call outs.
Finally, the work of building a better world can’t fall solely to survivors and activists. Chapter five presents concrete steps we can take as a community to keep each other safer.
We’re teaching this class because we believe we can win this fight. Together, we can fight back against abusive lawsuits and take a big step toward the world we all want to live in.
We hope you’ll join us.
Consent work frequently involves dealing with cases of sexual assault, which can be triggering for some people. In the interest of accessibility, all the fictional examples in this guide will involve yoga instructors who injure their students rather than kink educators who assault their students.