In honor of April being Sexual Violence Awareness Month, Wednesday, April 27th is Denim Day. Wear jeans to show your support for survivors, and to educate yourself and others on sexual assault. It’s important to remember that sexual violence or assault can come in many different forms. You can read more about sexual assault and healthy relationships here. It can be really difficult to acknowledge that you have been a victim of sexual violence or assault, but there are tons of resources out there to help.
One thing to remember though: consent is not optional. If you are hooking up with someone, it must be consensual, always. Consent is an enthusiastic, affirmative and voluntary agreement between two partners. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been hooking up with someone for two years, or two minutes, both partner’s must always provide consent.
You can't give consent when you are drunk or high. This is because your ability to communicate and make decisions may be impaired. If you feel you were coerced or taken advantage of under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you may have been sexually assaulted. Even if were not under the influence of drugs or alcohol but things went farther than you wanted them to, that's assault. You are the only person who gets to decide what you do or don’t want to do with your body. No excuses.
This Denim Day, show everyone you are standing up to sexual assault by wearing denim. Learn more about the mission and meaning of Denim Day here, and the history of Denim Day here.
If you feel you may have been a victim of rape or sexual violence, always remember: you’re not alone and it's not your fault. Find help near you.