SCR 22, as introduced, Evans. Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Denim Day California.
This measure would designate the month of April 2013 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, would recognize April 24, 2013, as Denim Day California, and would encourage everyone to wear jeans on that day to help communicate the message that there is no excuse for, and never an invitation to commit, rape.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, In 2011, there were 7,763 reported cases of forcible
2rape in California; and
3WHEREAS, In 2011, California rape crisis centers provided
4direct crisis intervention services to 29,292 individuals, provided
56,473 sexual assault forensic examinations, and provided
6community education services for more than 127,000 people; and
7WHEREAS, According to the National Intimate Partner and
8Sexual Violence Survey, nearly one in five women have been the
P2 1victim of an attempted or completed rape and over one million
2women are raped a year in the United States; and
3WHEREAS, The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence
4Survey reports that there are over 22 million survivors of rape
5throughout the United States and two million of those survivors
6of rape are currently living in the State of California; and
7WHEREAS, Women, children, and men are all victims of sexual
8assault, and it is estimated that nearly one in two women and one
9in five men experience sexual violence other than rape throughout
10their lifetime; and
11WHEREAS, Rape and sexual assault impact women, children,
12and men regardless of race, cultural background, socioeconomic
13background, sexual orientation, or gender identity; and
14WHEREAS, Women, children, and men suffer multiple types
15of sexual violence including acquaintance rape, stranger rape,
16sexual assault by an intimate partner, gang rape, incest, serial rape,
17ritual abuse, sexual harassment, child sexual molestation,
18prostitution, pornography, and stalking; and
19WHEREAS, In addition to the immediate physical and emotional
20costs, sexual assault may also have severe and long-lasting
21consequences of post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse,
22major depression, homelessness, eating disorders, and suicide; and
23WHEREAS, The federal Centers for Disease Control and
24Prevention has identified sexual assault as a significant, costly,
25and preventable health issue; and
26WHEREAS, A coalition of rape crisis centers and their allies,
27known as the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, has
28emerged to directly confront this crisis with the cooperation of law
29enforcement agencies, churches, health care providers, and other
30helping professionals from California’s diverse communities; and
31WHEREAS, It is our responsibility to support rape survivors
32by treating them with dignity, compassion, and respect; and
33WHEREAS, It is important to recognize the compassion and
34dedication of the individuals involved in this effort, applaud their
35commitment, and increase public understanding of this significant
36problem; and
37WHEREAS, It is important to recognize the strength, courage,
38and challenges of the victims and survivors of sexual assault and
39their families and friends as they struggle to cope with the reality
40of sexual assault; and
P3 1WHEREAS, It is important to recognize that not all victims of
2sexual assault survive, either at the time of the assault or later, due
3to the horrific long-term trauma that sexual assault often inflicts
4upon victims; and
5WHEREAS, There are rape prevention and education efforts
6underway throughout California to challenge the societal myths
7and behaviors that perpetuate rape and to engage communities in
8a common goal of ending sexual assault; and
9WHEREAS, It is crucially important to hold perpetrators
10responsible for sexual attacks, and to prevent sexual violence at
11every opportunity; and
12WHEREAS, In 1998, the Italian Supreme Court overturned the
13conviction of a man who sexually assaulted an 18-year-old woman
14after the court determined that, “because the victim wore very,
15very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing
16the jeans it was no longer rape but consensual sex”; and
17WHEREAS, Enraged by the court decision, within a matter of
18hours the women in the Italian Parliament launched into immediate
19action and protested by wearing jeans to work; and
20WHEREAS, Nations and states throughout the world have
21followed the lead of the Italian Parliament by designating their
22own “Denim Day” to raise public awareness about rape and sexual
23assault; and
24WHEREAS, Harmful attitudes about rape and sexual assault
25allow these crimes to persist and allow survivors to be revictimized
26through victim-blaming attitudes and unresponsive government
27systems; and
28WHEREAS, California is a national leader within the judicial,
29criminal justice, medical, rape crisis, and health communities in
30promoting victim-centered approaches to victims of crime; now,
31therefore, be it
32Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
33thereof concurring, That the Legislature designates the month of
34April 2013 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month; and be it further
35Resolved, That the Legislature recognizes April 24, 2013, as
36“Denim Day California” and encourages everyone to wear jeans
37on that day to help communicate the message that there is no
38excuse for, and never an invitation to commit, rape.
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