This month is the 18th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the theme is “I Ask for Consent.”
This month, we will have various activities on campus highlighting consent and to raise awareness about sexual violence.
Consent is a clear example of how we can bring an end to sexual harassment and sexual assault. Consent is all inclusive and can start as simply as asking permission to hold someone’s hand to engaging in intimacy.
Consent is a healthy part of relationships and is necessary in our everyday interactions. It allows us to show respect, to receive respect and to give respect to others.
For the month, we will be showcasing an art installation in the lower level of the library windows. This project is titled, “What were you wearing?”
The purpose is to highlight that sex assault is never about what an individual is wearing, and that even when those clothes are taken off, the assault is now a part of their new life story.
We urge you to ask yourself, are you still perpetuating this idea that the clothing causes this to happen or somehow plays into the role of sexual assault?
On April 24, we encourage everyone on campus to wear denim jeans for our annual “Denim Day.” Denim Day is a day to support survivors and to educate yourself and others about all forms of sexual violence.
It is a campaign that developed after court justices in Italy overturned a rape conviction stating that the victim’s jeans were too tight and she must have helped to remove the jeans, thereby implying consent. The next day after the ruling, all the women in Parliament came to work wearing jeans in an effort to show solidarity with the victim.
Every year around the world, individuals wear denim to both protest and to show solidarity. This year marks the 20th anniversary since the first Denim Day in Los Angeles.
Join us and come by our table to learn more about consent and Denim Day.
by Karla Silva-Park, LMHC, NCC
