Military Sexual Violence is something that effects both women and men, but it is not something that is often discussed, and often gets mishandled by the military. In the wake of the recent court-martial of an Air Force instructor convicted of sexually assaulting several women over years, it is something that the military needs to address, and sooner rather than later. Hollywood is tackling the issue sooner rather than later. The Servicewomen’s Action Network explains:

I’m writing to let you know about “Lauren,” a remarkable new Youtube series written by Jay Rodan and directed by Lesli Linka Glatter (Mad Men, True Blood, Newsroom) featuring a female soldier (Troian Bellisario, Pretty Little Liars), who reports a sexual assault to her superior officer (Jennifer Beals), who then has to choose between what she loves and what is right.

Lauren provides a comprehensive and compelling portrayal of the many different issues surrounding sexual violence in the military, as well as the multifaceted and complex roles women in the military are often forced to navigate.

I hope that many people watch this program, and that it increases public understanding about military culture and the brutality, retaliation, intimidation, and lack of access to justice that survivors often face when they come forward.

The series will be premiering today at www.youtube.com/wigs. The second episode will be on Wednesday, August 15 and the final episode on August 17.

WIGS is also kindly donating proceeds from the sale of tote bags to SWAN in honor of this series. These are available here.

SWAN applauds the work of Jennifer Beals, Troian Bellisario, Jay Rodan and Lesli Linka Glatter on this piece. We also thank the team at Youtube WIGS for connecting with us to make sure the episodes got to you. We look forward to your feedback.