California Has Made It Illegal To Remove A Condom Without Consent & It's Called 'Stealthing'
It's the first state to do so.
The state of California has now made it illegal for someone to remove a condom without the verbal consent of their partner during intercourse, which is also known as "stealthing."
On Thursday, October 7, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill authored by State Assemblymember Cristina Garcia into law, according to a press release from Garcia's office.
"This new law is the first in the nation and confirms that 'stealthing' is an illegal act that causes long term physical and emotional harm to its victims and those guilty of 'stealthing' will now be held accountable under California law," said the release, which notes that the act has been called "rape-adjacent."
With the act now being classified as a crime in California law, Garcia is encouraging other states to follow suit.
"This law is the first of its kind in the nation, but I urge other states to follow in California's direction and make it clear that stealthing is not just immoral but illegal," said Garcia in the release.
"I hope people will build on this & continue engaging in discussion around the continuum of consent," Garcia added in a Tweet.