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Book Launch: Suing for Silence by Mandi Gray
April 11 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Join us for the Ottawa launch of Suing for Silence: Sexual Violence and Defamation Law with author Mandi Gray.
Thursday, April 11, 7pm – 8pm
Octopus Books, 116 Third Ave., Ottawa
Suing for Silence is a groundbreaking examination of how men accused of sexual violence use defamation lawsuits as a weapon to silence those who attempt to hold them accountable.
As Mandi Gray demonstrates, Canadian defamation law helps perpetuate the myth that false allegations of sexual violence are common. Gray draws on media reports, courtroom observations, and interviews with silence breakers, activists, and lawyers to examine the societal and individual implications of so-called liar lawsuits. She argues that their purpose is not to achieve justice but to intimidate, silence, and drain the resources of those who speak out against sexual violence and even report their own assaults – and to discourage others from doing the same.
This meticulous work reveals the gendered underpinnings of Canadian defamation law, which has long protected men’s reputations at the expense of women’s sexual autonomy. Sexual violence discourse must have adequate protection if it is to be heard.
Mandi Gray is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at Trent University and an anti-violence activist. She is regularly featured in Canadian media on issues pertaining to sexual violence, including in the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, Toronto Life, and on the CBC.