1 RESOLUTION NO. 8457
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF HAWTHORNE, CALIFORNIA, PROCLAIMING APRIL
2024 AS “SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH” AND
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2024 AS “DENIM DAY” IN
HAWTHORNE
WHEREAS, April 2024 marks the 23rd anniversary of “Sexual Assault Awareness Month” and the 25th anniversary of “Denim Day”; and
WHEREAS, Denim Day was started in reaction to a ruling by an Italian Court in 1992, where a court concluded that since a rape victim wore tight jeans, she must have helped the defendant remove the jeans, and by removing the jeans it was not rape but consensual sex; and WHEREAS, both “Sexual Assault Awareness Month” and “Denim Day” are intended to draw attention to the fact that rape and sexual assault remain a serious issue in our society; and WHEREAS, harmful attitudes about rape and sexual assault allow these crimes to persist and allow victim/survivors to be re-victimized; and
WHEREAS, “Sexual Assault Awareness Month” and “Denim Day” call attention to misconceptions and misinformation about rape and sexual assault, and the problem that many in society remain disturbingly uninformed with respect to issues of assault and forcible rape; and WHEREAS, over 53% of women and over 29% of men reported experiencing sexual violence with most women and men across all sexual identities who experienced sexual violence reporting that the person who harmed them was someone they knew.; and WHEREAS, more than 1 and 4 non-Hispanic Black women (29%) in the United States were raped in their lifetime,1 in 3 Hispanic women (34.8%) reported unwanted sexual contact in their lifetime, and more than 4 in 5 (84.3%) American Indian and Native Alaskan women have experienced violence in their lifetime; and
WHEREAS, with proper education regarding rape and sexual assault, there is compelling evidence that incidents of this alarming and psychologically damaging crime can be successfully reduced; and
WHEREAS, the members of the Hawthorne City Council strongly supports efforts to educate persons in our community about the true impact of rape and sexual assault in Southern California.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Hawthorne as follows:
Section 1. The City Council of the City of Hawthorne, California, hereby incorporates by reference all the recitals herein and finds that they are true and correct.
Section 2. The City Council of the City of Hawthorne, California, hereby proclaims the month of April 2024 as “Sexual Assault Awareness Month,” and designates Wednesday, April 24, 2024 as “Denim Day,” and urges everyone to wear jeans on April 24, 2024.
Section 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution and shall cause this Resolution and her certification to be entered in the Book of Resolutions of the Council of the City.
Section 4. This resolution shall be in full force and effect immediately upon its passage and adoption thereof.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED THIS ____ DAY _________ OF 2024 ALEX VARGAS, Mayor
City of Hawthorne California
ATTEST:
_______________________________
DAYNA WILLIAMS-HUNTER, City Clerk
City of Hawthorne, California
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
ROBERT KIM, City Attorney
City of Hawthorne, California