Susanna Gibson is a nurse practitioner who ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates during the 2023 election. During the campaign, an opponent leaked evidence to the Washington Post that she had consensually participated performing sex acts live for money on the Chaturbate video streaming app. The incident resulted in the race capturing the national spotlight in an unusual manner for a Virginia legislative election.[1] According to Politico, it was the first time that a politician's sex video has spread on the internet.[2]
Susanna Gibson | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Nurse practitioner |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 2 |
She has since become an advocate for more stringent laws against revenge porn and has called for Virginia to upgrade the crime from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a felony.[3] In 2024, she backed a bill introduced by Del. Irene Shin that would broaden the definition of revenge porn in Virginia.[4] She also formed a political action committee to advocate against "gender-based and sexual violence, as well as intimate privacy violations" in February 2024.[5][6]
2023 campaign for state legislature edit
Gibson ran unsuccessfully for the Virginia General Assembly during the 2023 off-year election as a Democrat. The campaign drew large amounts of interest and funding for an off-year race due to its impact on deciding which party will have control over the and Republican Governor Youngkin's ability to pass his agenda.[7] Prior to her controversy, Gibson had raised almost $600,000 in campaign funding.[8] Gibson has campaigned on the issue of reproductive rights and decided to run for political office following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.[9][10][11] Following her loss, she did not rule out a future campaign for public office.[12]
Controversy over live streamed sex acts edit
In September 2023, a Republican operative provided The Washington Post with videos showing Gibson performing sex acts recorded live for tips with her husband on the adult streaming site Chaturbate. No laws were violated as she, her husband, and viewers were all consenting adults. The videos had been publicly archived on the website Recurbate, which, according to her lawyers, Gibson was not aware of and did not authorize.[13]
Gibson characterized the situation as "an illegal invasion of my privacy designed to humiliate me and my family" and as an attempt to silence women.[13] Lawyers representing Gibson have claimed that the dissemination of the videos violate Virginia's revenge porn laws [13][7][11] In an op-ed in the Post, former Congresswoman Katie Hill defended Gibson and condemned journalists and politicians who use women's bodies and their private lives against them in politics.[14]
Following the election, Alex Burns wrote in Politico Magazine that "it is not often that a state legislative campaign in an off-season election seizes the national spotlight" and that the incident "detonated a debate in Virginia and beyond about digital and sexual privacy in 21st-century politics".[15] He also noted that despite the revelation, she nearly won the race after losing by less than 1,000 votes and has not ruled out a return to politics in a possible reflection of shifting social norms.[15]
References edit
- ^ Burns, Alexander (December 9, 2023). "Her Online Sex Life Was Exposed. She Lost Her Election. Now She's Speaking Out". Politico Magazine.
- ^ Jack Shafer (September 12, 2023). "So What if a Candidate Livestreamed Sex Acts with Her Husband?". Politico.
- ^ Barclay, Mel Leonor (January 2, 2024). "Explicit videos rocked her run for office. But this Virginia Democrat isn't done with politics". The 19th. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Revenge porn bill backed by former candidate Susanna Gibson advances". AP News. February 1, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Former House candidate Gibson creates new PAC to fight sexual violence - The Henrico Citizen". The Henrico Citizen - Henrico County, Virginia's hometown news source since 2001. February 1, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Former candidate forms new PAC to fight revenge porn AI deepfakes | NewsNation Prime". NewsNation. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ a b "Candidate in high-stakes Virginia election performed sex acts with husband in live videos". AP News. September 11, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ Times-Dispatch, ANDREW CAIN Richmond (September 16, 2023). "Susanna Gibson raised nearly $600,000 before news of sexual videos". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ "Susanna Gibson on Reproductive Rights". www.susannagibson.com. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ Gibson, Susanna [@SusannaSGibson] (September 5, 2023). "It was never my plan to run for office. But after Roe was overturned, I knew I needed to step up" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b "Virginia candidate who livestreamed sex videos draws support from women, Democratic leader". AP News. September 12, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ "Defeated Virginia candidate whose explicit videos surfaced says she may not be done with politics". AP News. November 17, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ a b c Vozzella, Laura (September 11, 2023). "Va. Dem. House candidate performed sex online with husband for tips". Washington Post.
- ^ "Opinion | Women's bodies should not be a matter of public interest". Washington Post. September 21, 2023. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ a b Burns, Alexander (December 9, 2023). "Her Online Sex Life Was Exposed. She Lost Her Election. Now She's Speaking Out". Politico Magazine.