Bill Text: CA SCR15 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Denim Day California.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 17-4)
Status: (Passed) 2011-08-25 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Res. Chapter 76, Statutes of 2011. [SCR15 Detail]
Download: California-2011-SCR15-Chaptered.html
BILL NUMBER: SCR 15 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
RESOLUTION CHAPTER 76
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE AUGUST 25, 2011
ADOPTED IN SENATE AUGUST 22, 2011
ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 18, 2011
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 18, 2011
INTRODUCED BY Senator Evans
(Coauthors: Senators Corbett, Dutton, Hancock, Kehoe, La Malfa,
Lieu, Pavley, Steinberg, and Wolk)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Block, Blumenfield, Cook, Dickinson,
Fletcher, Gordon, Hall, Huffman, Ma, Monning, and Portantino)
FEBRUARY 18, 2011
Relative to Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Denim Day
California.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SCR 15, Evans. Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Denim Day
California.
This measure would resolve that the month of April be designated
as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, would recognize April 27, 2011, 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, rape or sexual assault.
WHEREAS, In 2009, California rape crisis centers provided direct
crisis intervention services to 28,993 individuals and provided
community education services for more than 150,000 people; and
WHEREAS, The American Medical Association has stated that a "woman
is raped every 46 seconds in the United States" and that sexual
assault is a "silent epidemic"; and
WHEREAS, Women, children, and men are all victims of sexual
assault and it is estimated that one in three women, one in four
girls, one in six boys, and one in 11 men will be victims at least
once in their lifetimes; and
WHEREAS, Rape and sexual assault impacts women, children, and men
of all racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds; and
WHEREAS, Women, children, and men suffer multiple types of sexual
violence including acquaintance rape, stranger rape, sexual assault
by an intimate partner, gang rape, incest, serial rape, ritual abuse,
sexual harassment, child sexual molestation, prostitution,
pornography, and stalking; and
WHEREAS, In addition to the immediate physical and emotional
costs, sexual assault may also have associated severe and
long-lasting consequences of post-traumatic stress disorder,
substance abuse, major depression, homelessness, eating disorders,
and suicide; and
WHEREAS, The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
have identified sexual assault as a significant, costly, and
preventable health issue; and
WHEREAS, A coalition of rape crisis centers and their allies,
known as the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, has emerged
to directly confront this crisis with the cooperation of law
enforcement agencies, churches, health care providers, and other
helping professionals from California's diverse communities; and
WHEREAS, It is our responsibility to support rape survivors by
treating them with dignity, compassion, and respect; and
WHEREAS, It is important to recognize the compassion and
dedication of the individuals involved in this effort, applaud their
commitment, and increase public understanding of this significant
problem; and
WHEREAS, It is important to recognize the strength, courage, and
challenges of the victims and survivors of sexual assault and their
families and friends as they struggle to cope with the reality of
sexual assault; and
WHEREAS, It is important to recognize that not all victims of
sexual assault survive, either at the time of the assault or later,
due to the horrific long-term trauma that sexual assault often
inflicts upon victims; and
WHEREAS, There are rape prevention and education efforts underway
throughout California to challenge the societal myths and behaviors
that perpetuate rape and to engage communities in a common goal of
ending sexual assault; and
WHEREAS, It is crucially important to hold perpetrators
responsible for sexual attacks, and to prevent sexual violence at
every opportunity; and
WHEREAS, In 1998, the Italian Supreme Court overturned the
conviction of a man who sexually assaulted an 18-year-old woman after
the court determined that, "because the victim wore very, very tight
jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans it
was no longer rape but consensual sex"; and
WHEREAS, Enraged by the court decision, within a matter of hours
the women in the Italian Parliament launched into immediate action
and protested by wearing jeans to work; and
WHEREAS, Nations and states throughout the world have followed the
lead of the Italian Parliament by designating their own " Denim Day"
to raise public awareness about rape and sexual assault; and
WHEREAS, Harmful attitudes about rape and sexual assault allow
these crimes to persist and allow survivors to be revictimized
through victim-blaming attitudes and unresponsive government systems;
and
WHEREAS, California is a national leader within the judicial,
criminal justice, medical, rape crisis, and health communities in
promoting victim-centered approaches to victims of crimes; now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature designates the month of
April 2011 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature recognizes April 27, 2011, as
"Denim Day California" and encourages everyone to wear jeans on that
day to help communicate the message that there is no excuse for, and
never an invitation to, rape and sexual assault.
