Culture Wars/Current Controversies

‘Call Me a Scammer to My Face,’

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— Jordan Larson, features editor, the Cut

When 23-year-old Madison Campbell launched her DIY rape-kit company, MeToo Kits, the reaction was swift and brutal. The kits, ostensibly meant to provide sexual-assault survivors with an alternative to the DNA collection conducted in hospitals by formally trained nurses, weren’t admissible in court. Advocates worried they could harm the very people they were supposed to help, and the company was met with a flurry of cease-and-desist letters and warnings from attorneys general around the country. But as Angelina Chapin and Katie Heaney detail in this captivating character study for the Cut, Campbell didn’t go anywhere. Three years later, she’s rebranded the company as Leda Health — after the mythological Greek queen raped by Zeus — raised millions in Silicon Valley venture capital, and attracted big-ticket hires. What she still doesn’t have are customers or revenue, and no kits have been used in a court case. But she’s determined to keep going, even if no one wants what she’s selling.
‘Call Me a Scammer to My Face’ Madison Campbell is determined to get DIY rape kits into survivors’ hands, no matter who tells her it’s a bad idea.
Photo: Gillian Laub
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