,,iii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #fih ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,april #bi1 #bjbf,ms4 ,baldwin submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,,resolution ,recognizing ,april #bi1 #bjbf1 as ,denim ,day and honoring survivors of sexual assault4 ,whereas sexual assault affects individuals of every age1 race1 gender1 socioeconomic background1 and community across the ,united ,states2 ,whereas ,denim ,day began following a #aiih decision by the ,italian ,supreme ,court that overturned a rape conviction based on the victim's clothing1 prompting widespread outrage and a call to action2 ,whereas1 in response1 members of the ,california ,senate wore denim on the steps of the capital in solidarity with the survivor and to protest misconceptions surrounding sexual violence2 ,whereas ,executive ,director_/,,ceo of ,peace ,over ,violence ,patti ,giggans founded ,denim ,day in #aiii2 ,whereas ,peace ,over ,violence1 a ,los ,angeles-based sexual and domestic violence1 intimate partner stalking1 child abuse1 and youth violence prevention center has continuously advocated for survivors of such violence since its inception in #aiga1 providing emergency1 intervention1 prevention1 education1 and advocacy services in ,los ,angeles and the ,west ,san ,gabriel ,valley2 ,whereas ,denim ,day has since grown into a national and international movement led by ,peace ,over ,violence1 encouraging communities to make a social statement with their fashion statement and wear denim as a visible means of protest against victim-blaming and harmful myths and lies about sexual assault1 occurring annually the last ,wednesday of ,april during ,sexual ,assault ,awareness ,month2 ,whereas wearing denim on ,denim ,day is a symbol of solidarity with survivors of sexual assault and serves as a statement that clothing1 behavior1 or appearance never constitutes consent2 ,whereas wearing denim on ,denim ,day spreads the signature ,denim ,day message that states there is no excuse and someone's clothing1 behavior1 or appearance is never an invitation to harass1 abuse1 assault1 or rape2 ,whereas ,denim ,day is a call to action for survivors to be heard1 respected1 and have access to trauma-informed services1 healing1 and justice2 ,whereas1 in the ,united ,states1 over half of women and almost #a in #c men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetime2 ,whereas more than #d in #e female rape survivors reported that they were first raped before age #be1 and almost half were first raped as a minor2 ,whereas recent estimates put the lifetime cost of rape at #abb1dfa per survivor1 including medical costs1 lost productivity1 criminal justice activities1 and other costs2 ,whereas1 every #fh seconds somewhere in the ,united ,states1 someone is sexually assaulted1 and every #i minutes that victim is a child2 ,whereas nearly #a in #aj women has been raped by an intimate partner2 ,whereas #f out of #aj rapes are committed by someone who knew the victim2 ,whereas #hb percent of sexual assaults committed by a friend or acquaintance are not reported to the police2 ,whereas only #be out of every #a1jjj perpetrators will end up in prison2 ,whereas #a in #e women are sexually assaulted while in college2 ,whereas #ae1jjj to #ai1jjj people with developmental disabilities are raped each year in the ,united ,states2 ,whereas #a out of #aj rape victims are men2 ,whereas #dd percent of sexual assault and rape victims are under the age of #ah2 ,whereas victims of sexual assault are #c times more likely to suffer from depression1 #f times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder1 #ac times more likely to abuse alcohol1 #bf times more likely to abuse drugs1 and #d times more likely to contemplate suicide2 ,whereas #dg percent of transgender people are sexually assaulted at some point in their life2 ,whereas sexual violence affects ,black women at disproportionately high rates2 ,whereas more than #bj percent of ,black women are raped during their lifetimes1 a higher share than among women overall1 which is #ah percent2 ,whereas #ef4a percent and over #a1ejj1jjj ,american ,indian and ,alaska ,native women have experienced sexual violence2 ,whereas it is essential to raise awareness about sexual violence in all its forms1 promote prevention efforts1 support survivor-centered policies1 and foster a culture of respect1 dignity1 and accountability2 and ,whereas recognizing ,denim ,day provides an opportunity to reaffirm ,congress's commitment to supporting survivors1 holding offenders accountable1 and advancing education and resources to prevent sexual violence3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 recognizes ,april #bi1 #bjbf1 as ,denim ,day and supports the goals and ideals of ,denim ,day to raise awareness of sexual assault and combat victim-blaming2 7#b7 honors the strength1 resilience1 and courage of survivors of sexual assault and affirms the right of all individuals to live free from violence1 harassment1 and abuse2 7#c7 expresses solidarity with survivors and their families1 and supports their access to comprehensive1 trauma-informed1 culturally competent services1 including medical care1 mental health support1 legal assistance1 and advocacy2 7#d7 reaffirms that clothing1 appearance1 or behavior never constitute consent and condemns all forms of victim-blaming2 7#e7 supports efforts to improve the reporting1 investigation1 and prosecution of sexual assault cases while ensuring survivor-centered and trauma-informed approaches throughout the justice process2 7#f7 recognizes the importance of addressing disparities in sexual violence affecting marginalized and vulnerable populations1 including teenagers1 children1 women of color1 ,indigenous communities1 individuals with disabilities1 and ,,lgbtqia#b individuals2 7#g7 calls on ,federal1 ,state1 local1 ,tribal1 and territorial governments to strengthen policies1 funding1 and programs that prevent sexual violence and support survivors2 and 7#h7 urges continued collaboration among policymakers1 advocacy organizations1 law enforcement1 and communities to end sexual violence and ensure accountability for perpetrators4