Breaking the Silence: Honoring Truth During Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Every April, we observe Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)—a time to confront uncomfortable truths, uplift survivor voices, and challenge the culture of silence surrounding sexual violence. But for survivors, the pain isn’t limited to a single month. It lives in the body, lingers in the mind, and echoes through the soul long after the moment has passed.

Sexual assault is not rare.It’s not a private issue.It’s a public crisis that affects millions, and too often, survivors are met with blame, disbelief, or erasure.

🧵 Denim Day: April 30, 2025

One of the most powerful moments during SAAM is Denim Day, taking place this year on April 30.

Denim Day began in response to a 1998 Italian Supreme Court ruling that overturned a rape conviction because the survivor was wearing tight jeans. The court argued that her jeans were “too tight” to be removed without her help—implying consent. In protest, women across Italy and around the world began wearing denim to stand with survivors and fight against victim-blaming.

Denim Day is now a global movement, a symbolic act of solidarity and a call to end harmful narratives that place the burden of assault on the survivor rather than the perpetrator.

Wearing denim on April 30 is more than a fashion statement. It’s a declaration:

“What I wear is never an invitation. My body is not up for debate. My voice matters.”

💬 What Survivors Deserve

Survivors don’t need scrutiny.They need support.They need to be believed.They need space to heal—on their own terms.

To every survivor reading this:You are not broken.You are not to blame.You are not alone.Whether you whisper your story, scream it, or keep it close to your chest—you are valid. You are powerful.

🌿 How You Can Take Action

• Wear denim on April 30 and share why you stand with survivors.

• Listen without judgment. Honor stories even when they’re hard to hear.

• Speak up. Challenge rape culture in your communities, workplaces, and families.

• Support survivor-led organizations doing life-saving work.

• Educate yourself and others on consent, boundaries, and trauma-informed care.

🔗 Resources for Survivors & Allies

• RAINN: National Sexual Assault Hotline – 1-800-656-HOPE

• Denim Day Movement

• Therapy for Black Girls

• 1in6 – Support for male survivors

• National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network

💙 Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

Sexual Assault Awareness Month—and Denim Day—are reminders that this work doesn’t stop on April 30. We must keep listening. Keep believing. Keep fighting for a world where safety, healing, and justice are not privileges—they’re a right.

Wear your denim. Speak your truth. Stand with survivors.Because awareness is power.And silence is never consent.