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Sen. Gillibrand To Attend State Of Union Address With Columbia Student Leading Rape Protest

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- U.S. senators can bring any VIP guest they want to the State of the Union address, and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) chose a New York City college student who made headlines with an eye-opening demonstration.

But as CBS2's Dave Carlin reported, some called Gillibrand's choice to invite Columbia University senior Emma Sulkowicz problematic.

"My invited guest at the State of the Union tonight is Emma Sulkowicz, a brave young woman who was raped," Gillibrand said.

Gillibrand said she fully supports her VIP guest at the speech, who is perhaps Columbia University's most-talked about student.

Sulkowicz carries a mattress around as a combination senior thesis and protest to draw attention to rapes on campus. She claims a fellow student hit her, pinned her down, and raped her in her dorm room in 2012, and her alleged attacker was never investigated.

Sulkowicz said the accusations were dismissed because it was found to be more likely than not that the rape didn't happen. But Sukowicz insists it did. She said the man has merely been order not to contact her in any way.

"To a lot of people, she certainly is a hero in that she's sort of speaking out," said Columbia student Alex Sable.

Gillibrand said she believes Sulkowicz and insists she was raped, even though the man accused denies it and the case remains one of he-said, she-said.

The man accused told a newspaper reporter the sex with Sulkowicz was consensual, and "What was alleged... did not happen"

He said he considers Sulkowicz's mattress-carrying demonstrations "bullying," and added, "My mother raised me as a feminist."

But on campus, some say no matter what the status of the case, it is right that Sulkowicz be at the State of the Union Address.

"I think Emma Sulkowicz is a great person to invite," said Columbia student Eliav Grossman. "She's doing important work."

Gillibrand added that in Sulkowicz's case, "three girls talked about the same incident; same perpetrator."

But those other complaints from two more classmates also went nowhere.

Gillibrand is pushing the Campus Safety Act, mandating stricter protocols for universities and stronger cooperation with law enforcement.

Columbia University already took action. The university changed the way it deals with internal investigations of sex assault claims.

Both sides are now allowed to bring lawyers and Columbia will even provide lawyers for them.

Sulkowicz did not bring the mattress to Washington, D.C. But she vows to bring it to graduation, where the man she calls her rapist will also be getting his diploma.

The accused man told a newspaper he consulted with a lawyer, but is not pursuing legal action at this time.

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