Why Is Joe Biden Going to the Oscars? VP to Join Lady Gaga to Discuss Sexual Assault

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Culture

Vice President Joe Biden will join Lady Gaga onstage Sunday at the Oscars to speak about sexual assault, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday. Lady Gaga is nominated for an Oscar for her original song "Til It Happens to You," from the documentary The Hunting Ground, which examined the issue of sexual assault on college campuses.

Biden will reportedly speak about the Obama administration's "It's on Us" campaign to raise awareness about sexual violence. While he was in the Senate, Biden authored the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, reports the Times.

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Biden, who will attend the Oscars with his wife, Jill Biden, will reportedly call on viewers to visit ItsOnUs.org to take an online pledge to help stop sexual violence.

Lady Gaga has been a vocal advocate for raising awareness and visibility for survivors of sexual assault, and has also spoken about her own experiences with sexual violence, the Guardian reported in September.

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In 2015, Lady Gaga joined New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in writing a public letter calling for stronger legislation to fight sexual assault on New York college campuses, ABC News reported.

In the op-ed, which was released by Billboard, Cuomo and Lady Gaga wrote "We all have a responsibility to make sure that the strongest possible laws are in place to safeguard our students ... We have a responsibility to the young men and women of this country to stand up against sexual violence everywhere."