Respect Together, the umbrella organization of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) and the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR), acknowledges the unpublishing of content from our websites following the current administration's executive orders. The organization is in the process of restoring these pages. The unpublishing of these pages harmed many in our community, most especially transgender and LGBTQ+ populations and communities of color, who themselves experience disproportionate rates of sexual violence.
"We take full responsibility for the unintended harm caused by our actions," said Respect Together CEO Yolanda Edrington. "Unpublishing content from our website was a fear-based decision to the executive orders. We heard you, and recognize that this was the wrong choice, and we are committed to rebuilding trust, learning from this experience, and ensuring that our actions align with our mission to support survivors of all communities, their allies, and advocates."
“We apologize for the hurt this decision caused our community, including partners who helped create this content, advocates and preventionists who rely on these resources for their work, and survivors who deserve access to the best evidence-based, culturally-specific resources and services,” stated Jennifer Grove, COO of NSVRC.
Federal and state funding accounts for the vast majority of our operational budget, and as a result, we acted too swiftly to the news from the current administration. Joyce Lukima, COO of PCAR, said, “This is a time of fear and great uncertainty, not just for Respect Together but all programs at the local, state, and national levels that rely on federal funding.”
Respect Together will continue to listen, learn, hold ourselves accountable, and strive to do better.
In appreciation of your continued support,
| Yolanda Edrington | Jennifer Grove | Joyce Lukima |
| CEO, Respect Together | COO, NSVRC | COO, PCAR |