2021 was a landmark year in Louisiana legislation passed to enhance supportive measures for sexual trauma survivors and improve systems response across our state. We are so grateful to our legislative champions who sponsored bills this year and prioritized sexual trauma survivors. HB 375/ACT 1 by Representative Aimee Freeman          This bill was STAR’s signature piece of… Read More

By Marien Richardson, STAR intern As brand after brand transitions to a rainbow logo only to remove it on July 1st, it is important that these brands, as well as society, begin to incorporate lasting changes that will benefit the lives of queer people and give them a more stable place of acceptance in the… Read More

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is a time to reflect on the contributions of Asian and Pacific Islander individuals in our community. We specifically would like to acknowledge the specific contributions and awareness brought to the topic of sexual violence. To celebrate this month, we want to recognize activists who are working… Read More

This week is Volunteer Appreciation Week, and at STAR, we have many volunteers that support our team 24/7. We are thrilled to have so many people help provide support to survivors, accompany survivors to hospitals for forensic exams, and serve a selfless devotion to our nonprofit. Thank you to all of our volunteers that dedicate… Read More

Did you know that 55% of sexual assaults occur at or near the survivor’s home? When a survivor is sexually assaulted in their home, they are faced with the difficult decision of whether they should stay in their home or move. However, the State of Louisiana does not allow lease termination for sexual assault survivors.… Read More

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month! Commit to learning more about the problem of sexual violence and ways you can better support survivors by watching documentaries, films, and series that highlight survivors and the impact of sexual violence on their lives. Below are summaries of movies and shows that our New Orleans Advocacy Team recommend… Read More

By Caroline Schroeder, Guest Blogger This past week Oregon State University President F. King Alexander eschewed blame for his role in Louisiana State University’s mishandling of sexual misconduct complaints during his tenure. Alexander claimed that, regardless of whether or not he was aware of this crisis, he could not have addressed it because Louisiana is… Read More

Yesterday, a white gunman in Atlanta killed eight people in three attacks, six of whom were Asian women. On this same day, the advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate released a report on thousands of incidents of anti-Asian harassment and violence reported to them over the past year.  The gunman in yesterday’s Atlanta shooting denies race… Read More

Yesterday, STAR’s Legal Director, Morgan Lamandre, joined dozens of survivors and advocates to testify before the Louisiana Senate Select Committee on Women and Children about the need for the state to take more action to support survivors of sexual assault and hold the institutions that fail them accountable.  As Morgan said in her testimony, “Our… Read More

This week, the Louisiana State University (LSU) community is preparing to receive the Husch Blackwell law firm’s investigative report on the university’s Title IX policies and their implementation. LSU retained the law firm to conduct this review in response to a series of articles published by USA Today last fall which featured student survivors’ experiences… Read More