Halle Nelson

National Sexual Violence Resource Center

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Reality TV, Consent, and Accountability: Learning From America’s Next Top Model - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Halle Nelson March 26, 2026 Note to readers: Some of the events detailed in this article are disturbing and difficult, but we felt it was important to name the harms that were done so that we can reckon with the past and learn from it to shape our future. We encourage readers to take care of themselvesand honor their limits while processing this information. Whether it’s a reality star or an everyday person, we stand with survivors, affirm their experiences, support them in...
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The Importance of Digital Health Equity for Survivors with Disabilities - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Halle Nelson December 3, 2025 For those in public health, working towards health equity (equal access to healthcare and good health outcomes) means starting with big, bold questions: Much of the discussions around making a health-equitable society revolve around our tangible reality. Lowering the cost of prescription drugs, providing food to low-income communities, and transportation to medical care are all physical, tangible solutions to very serious health divides. How...
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Food Access is Vital for Survivors and Sexual Violence Prevention - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Halle Nelson November 5, 2025 The old saying goes, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” But what if all of the fish have gone downstream? What if his fishing rod broke? What if he’s too sick to go outside? What if he catches a fish, but has to share it with a family of four? These are the questions I ask when I hear this saying. Its intended message is that when we teach someone a skill, they can independently...
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Tips for College Campuses During SAAM 2025 - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Halle Nelson March 19, 2025 Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) is more than just a monthly observance. It’s a time to demonstrate a willingness to learn about sexual violence, spread awareness in one’s community, show support for survivors you do know and have yet to meet, and ensure that the conversations had during April are part of an ongoing conversation throughout the year about ways to prevent sexual abuse, assault, and harassment. This year, our SAAM 2025 theme is,...
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New LGBTQ Resources for Service Providers - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Halle Nelson November 12, 2024 In 2012, NSVRC developed an information packet of materials for service providers working with the LGBTQ+ community. These resources were well-received and widely used by the field for many years. In 2023, NSVRC staff began talking with key partners about the current needs of LGBTQ+ community members and felt it was time to update our resources. These resources, “Creating Inclusive Agencies: Assessing Organizational Readiness & Capacity for Eng...
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How Colleges Can Get Involved in SAAM 2024 - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Halle Nelson March 18, 2024 Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) is a time for survivors, advocates, and allies to come together, spread awareness, and promote the prevention of sexual violence. This year, our campaign “Building Connected Communities” emphasizes that creating environments free of sexual violence is only possible when we approach the issue on a community level. College campuses are an excellent place to commemorate SAAM as it is an opportunity to transform c...
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Taylor Swift and the Dangers of Deepfake Pornography - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Halle Nelson February 7, 2024 As Taylor Swift has recently become a victim of deepfake pornography, this blog examines the phenomenon, its origins, how it harms victims, and what can be done about it. Disclaimer: We use “Deepfake pornography” as a term to describe a form of image-based sexual abuse. Not all forms of pornography are consensually made, and all non-consensually made/distributed pornography is a sexual violation that has no place on the internet.   Taylor Swift...
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Reckoning with Sexual Violence, Sexual Terrorism, and Sexual Trauma in the Holocaust - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Halle Nelson April 18, 2023 Trigger Warning: Detailed Descriptions of Sexual Assault, Rape, Child Sexual Abuse, Antisemitism, White Supremacy, Forced Sterilization, Forced Abortion, Murder, Genocide, and Violence.  A note to readers: Each year the Jewish calendar marks the observance of Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). This day, signified on the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, is commemorated by Jewish communities around the world and honors victims of the...
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Interview with One Love Foundation - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Halle Nelson February 13, 2023 This Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, we reached out to One Love Foundation to continue the ongoing conversation about teen dating violence education and prevention. As a nonprofit that facilitates educational workshops from elementary schools to college campuses, they excel in their ability to speak to young people about understanding abusive behaviors in relationships and what healthy behaviors look like. Started in honor of the late Yea...
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The Importance of Data Collection for Violence Against Native American/Alaska Native Women - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

The history of indigenous women in this country has been undeniably stained by centuries of brutality at the hands of their oppressors. For too long, laws and policies in the United States have denied Indigenous women the basic human rights of bodily autonomy, self-advocacy, and justice — all of which they are entitled to as a basic human right. The ripple effects of this long-standing abuse, mainstream ambivalence toward the problem, and lack of accountability for these crimes can still be fel...
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Deaf Awareness Month: Reflecting On Audist Barriers in the Sexual Violence Field - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Halle Nelson September 20, 2022 The first American school to teach American Sign Language (ASL) was the Hartford-based Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons in 1817 (renamed the American School for the Deaf). While the focus on educating persons with disabilities was groundbreaking at the time, it is clear from the institution’s name alone that there was an implicit, audist prejudice in its perception and approach to its students. Audi...

The Resource (NSVRC Publication)

Functioned as Editor-in-Chief of NSVRC online magazine. I was in charge of topic choice, contributor selection and interview, and editing.

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Part 2 - Treating Sexual Traumas Experienced by Transgender Uniformed Members During and After Their Service - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

sudharsan.ganesan January 14, 2025 NSVRC speaks with SPARTA Pride about sexual trauma experienced by transgender people in the uniformed services (Military, Navy, Air Force, etc.).       In August of 2022, I was at the NOVA (National Association for Victims Assistance) Conference in Denver. I was attending a breakout learning session where one of the local youth transgender advocacy organizations was talking about how to advocate for transgender individuals. I looked around...
National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) •

Part 1 - Treating Sexual Traumas Experienced by Transgender Uniformed Members During and After Their Service - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

sudharsan.ganesan January 14, 2025 NSVRC speaks with SPARTA Pride about sexual trauma experienced by transgender people in the uniformed services (Military, Navy, Air Force, etc.).       In our work, we are proud to include all of the uniformed services, which encompasses organizations like NASA and NOAA. We also provide advocacy and support for future warriors and spouses/significant others of uniformed service members.   Health equity is very important for us because, as s...
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Sexual and Domestic Violence, Isolation, and How It Determined Health Outcomes for Transgender and Gender Expansive People: A COVID-19 Perspective - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

sudharsan.ganesan January 14, 2025 ADM. Rachel Levine and Madeline Anscombe write about the gender-based violence experienced by transgender and gender-expansive people during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.   When COVID-19 changed our lives in 2020, it became apparent early on that the burden would fall disproportionately on marginalized communities. While often described as “unprecedented times,” COVID-19 impacted the country on similar lines as pa...
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Part 2 - How We Can Prevent and Treat Sexual Violence that Targets Transgender and Gender-Expansive Incarcerated People - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

sudharsan.ganesan January 14, 2025 NSVRC talks with Just Detention International about the ways sexual violence impacts transgender and gender-expansive people during incarceration. Intersectionality plays a role in people’s experience across the board. Whether that person is in detention or outside of detention. In particular, Black transgender women experience some of the highest rates of violence both in and outside of detention. Holding multiple oppressed identities mean...
National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) •

Part 1 - How We Can Prevent and Treat Sexual Violence that Targets Transgender and Gender-Expansive Incarcerated People - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

sudharsan.ganesan January 14, 2025 NSVRC talks with Just Detention International about the ways sexual violence impacts transgender and gender-expansive people during incarceration. One of the many challenges that trans and nonbinary people face in detention is a denial of their identity. I think that the denial of people’s identity honestly goes beyond restrictions to transition-related care, whether that’s social, legal, or medical transition…but I think that is also absol...
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Part 2 - Eating Disorder Treatment for Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Intersex Survivors of Sexual Violence - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

sudharsan.ganesan January 14, 2025 NSVRC spoke with FEDUP to discuss the gaps in eating disorder treatment for survivors who are gender minorities. Some providers want to be overly supportive in a way that overemphasizes someone’s identity and centers it when that’s not something that someone wants to talk about, or that they may not be seeking care around. This is likely well-intentioned but can be harmful and alienating. For professionals, it depends on which kind of profe...
National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) •

Part 1 - Eating Disorder Treatment for Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Intersex Survivors of Sexual Violence - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

sudharsan.ganesan January 14, 2025 NSVRC spoke with FEDUP to discuss the gaps in eating disorder treatment for survivors who are gender minorities. Both of these issues are deeply rooted and connected to people’s bodies and how they are impacted by systems of oppression. They are connected to agency and control over one’s body, and the restrictions put on it by others, whether that be systems, people of authority, or loved ones. Trans and gender-expansive youth are often not...
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Data and Research Deficits for Aging Transgender+ and Intersex Populations Impact Physical and Sexual Health Outcomes - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

sudharsan.ganesan January 14, 2025 NSVRC spoke with SAGE (the National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging) about sexual health disparities as they relate to transgender elders and why more research and data is needed to understand the needs of this population.     I would say that one of the main outcomes is that we don’t necessarily have a lot of long-term cohort-based studies around the community in general. Because of labeling, because of barriers to care, and all the factor...
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Areas of Improvement for Sexual Assault Service Providers When Working With Transgender and Nonbinary Survivors - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

sudharsan.ganesan January 14, 2025 FORGE writes about how service providers can improve in the ways they provide for transgender and non-binary survivors.   People self-reporting as transgender and nonbinary make up an increasing percentage of the population, from all ages, races, ethnicities, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds. Trans/nonbinary communities are diverse, with wide-ranging experiences and needs. To meet the needs of transgender communities, sexual assaul...
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Part 2 - How Black Social Media Spaces Shape How We Talk About Sexual Harassment, Assault, and Abuse - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Feminista Jones November 11, 2023 NSVRC talks with Feminista Jones about how Black social media spaces guide cultural reaction to, and understanding of, sexual violence. I definitely think it has been one of the most enduring hashtags. That started in 2014, and people still talk about it almost ten years later. I think that it gave people almost a blueprint for how to talk about this stuff in some ways. I think that, until that point, we hadn’t had many of those conversation...
National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) •

Part 1 - How Black Social Media Spaces Shape How We Talk About Sexual Harassment, Assault, and Abuse - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Feminista Jones November 11, 2023 NSVRC talks with Feminista Jones about how Black social media spaces guide cultural reaction to, and understanding of, sexual violence. I think Black Twitter has one of the most cohesive community vibes. When we think about different factions of Twitter, I think you could see people associated with those sections. You have right-wing, liberal, all of those things like that, but a lot of them don’t actually know each other or interact with ea...
National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) •

Part 2 - How Language Barriers and Cultural Differences Impact Latinx Survivors - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Mónica Ramírez November 11, 2023 NSVRC talks with Justice for Migrant Women about the cultural and linguistic barriers they bridge for Latinx survivors, particularly in the farmworking community. I think that one of the most important things, particularly when we talk about supporting migrant and rural community members of all backgrounds, is that they often come from small communities. When people come from very small communities where perhaps many people are related or whe...
National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) •

Part 1 - How Language Barriers and Cultural Differences Impact Latinx Survivors - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Mónica Ramírez November 11, 2023 NSVRC talks with Justice for Migrant Women about the cultural and linguistic barriers they bridge for Latinx survivors, particularly in the farmworking community. So for a lot of survivors who speak languages other than English, it can be a real challenge to find information and resources in their language. Spanish is actually one of the languages where there are more items available such as Spanish language help lines, resources, etc. But as...
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Part 2 - Sexual Violence Against African American Slaves And Its Legacy Today - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Dr. Crystal Feimster November 11, 2023 NSVRC talks with Yale Professor Dr. Cyrstal Feimster about the direct throughline between sexual violence during the American slavery era and the sexual violence experienced by Black women and girls today.   I think that oftentimes when we think about the post-war period (1865-1877), the way that we understand and imagine rape…On the one hand, it’s an interracial crime. In the post-war period, the only way people could think about rape...
National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) •

Part 1 - Sexual Violence Against African American Slaves And Its Legacy Today - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Dr. Crystal Feimster November 11, 2023 NSVRC talks with Yale Professor Dr. Cyrstal Feimster about the direct throughline between sexual violence during the American slavery era and the sexual violence experienced by Black women and girls today. That’s an important question, and a difficult one in the sense that the sources that we have regarding enslaved women’s experiences of sexual violence and sexual harassment are very thin. In part, this is because, in most states, the...
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Part 2 - Inequity and the Increased Risk of Sex Trafficking for American Indian Girls and Women - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Marisa Cummings Miakonda November 11, 2023 NSVRC talks with Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center about how historical oppression of American Indian people is directly linked to their increased risk of sex trafficking today. I don’t believe so, and rarely does a family member feel like identifying that she’s being trafficked. Homegrown trafficking is the most common type of trafficking, for over 80% of people being trafficked, it’s homegrown. It could mean a domestic part...
National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) •

Part 1 - Inequity and the Increased Risk of Sex Trafficking for American Indian Girls and Women - National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Marisa Cummings Miakonda November 10, 2023 NSVRC talks with Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center about how historical oppression of American Indian people is directly linked to their increased risk of sex trafficking today. So I started at the agency in August of 2020, which was long after the data collection happened. However, I do think that there are some challenges that still exist in terms of data collection for American Indian people. Oftentimes, we can be miscateg...
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Part 2 - NO! The Rape Documentary: A Visionary Black Filmmaker Reflects on the Journey to Open Up the Conversation on Sexual Violence Experienced by the Black Community - National Sexual Violence Reso

Aishah Shahidah Simmons November 10, 2023 NSVRC talks with filmmaker Aishah Shahidah Simmons about shaping narratives in film that honor the Black female survivor experience.   That scene is a reality that probably almost every single Black person has in terms of their ancestral lineage. That’s based on my third great-grandmother, who was raped by the man who owned her. As the director, we had many acting rehearsals and discussions. On the set, we had many kinds of holistic...
National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) •

Part 1 - NO! The Rape Documentary: A Visionary Black Filmmaker Reflects on the Journey to Open Up the Conversation on Sexual Violence Experienced by the Black Community - National Sexual Violence Reso

Aishah Shahidah Simmons November 10, 2023 NSVRC talks with filmmaker Aishah Shahidah Simmons about shaping narratives in film that honor the Black female survivor experience. I started working on NO! The Rape Documentary in 1994, and it took me 12 years to make the film. Seven of which I worked full-time on the film. So it was a really long journey to make the film. At the time I was working on the it, very few people wanted to talk about sexual violence in Black communities...