SAG-AFTRA Launches App to Allow Actors to Privately Report Incidents of Sexual Harassment
SAG-AFTRA, the union for actors and actresses that hosts the annual SAG Awards, has unveiled a new sexual harassment reporting tool that is aiming to protect members at work.
The SAG-AFTRA Safe Place is a new platform for members of the guild to safely report sexual harassment they have either experienced or witnessed.
The platform is now available as a mobile app and at sagaftrasafeplace.org to provide members with an easy and discreet place to report incidents.
Once a report is made using the new platform, it will be handled by the SAG-AFTRA Equity & Inclusion team, who are trained in trauma awareness. Users can opt to report an incident anonymously, as well.
Along with the new platform, SAG-AFTRA also launched its first industry-wide accreditation for intimacy coordinator training programs and registry.
RELATED: All HBO Programs Featuring Sex Scenes Will Now Be Overseen by Intimacy Coordinators
An intimacy coordinator is "an advocate, a liaison between actors and production … in regard to nudity and simulated sex," according to SAG-AFTRA.
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Having an intimacy coordinator on a set can help actors and actresses feel safe and heard while filming scenes that can leave them feeling exposed or vulnerable.
"Protecting the well-being, security and dignity of our members is the reason that SAG-AFTRA exists," SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris said in a statement. "Last year, SAG-AFTRA took a huge step toward normalizing and encouraging the use of intimacy coordinators in productions large and small. These professionals have proven to be effective in changing the culture while safeguarding the safety and security of our members as they work."
RELATED: Bridgerton's Intimacy Coordinator Breaks Down the Show's Sex Scenes: It Was Like a 'Circus'
Several productions in Hollywood have included intimacy coordinators on set, including Netflix's blockbuster new series Bridgerton.
In October 2018, HBO announced all of its TV shows and movies featuring "intimate scenes will be staffed by an intimacy coordinator."
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The company hired its first intimacy coordinator after The Deuce actress Emily Meade, who had felt "uneasy" during a sex scene she had filmed during the show's first season, demanded that action be taken, Rolling Stone reported at the time.
HBO hired Alicia Rodis to be that advocate, who told the publication, "I am here to give a voice to actors, especially actors who feel like they don't have one. And I'm also here for the producers, to make sure that they know they're doing their best to make sure the set is safe."
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
