City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council consider adopting the attached resolution
proclaiming April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and April 25, 2007 as Denim
Day in the City of Culver City.
BACKGROUND
Denim Day can trace its origins to the response to a 1999 Italian Supreme Court
decision which overturned a rape conviction based upon the Justices’ conclusion
that the victim inferred consent to the actions based upon her wearing jeans. In
response, community groups in Los Angeles County, led by the group Peace Over
Violence, have been rallying in support of rape prevention education.
On March 5, 2007, the City Council directed staff to agendize this item.
DISCUSSION:
Should the City Council adopt the attached proposed resolution, April, 2007 would
be declared Sexual Assault Awareness month and April 25, 2007 would be declared
Denim Day in Culver City.
Attached is the letter received by the City from Peace Over Violence requesting the
attached proposed resolution.
Meeting Date: 03/26/07 Item Number: A-2
AGENDA ITEM: Adoption of a Resolution Proclaiming April as Sexual Assault
Awareness Month and April 25, 2007 as Denim Day
Contact Person/Dept.: Martin R. Cole,
Assistant City Manager
Phone Number: 310-253-6000
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification:
Master Notification List (03/21/07)
Department Approval:
Martin R. Cole (03/20/2007)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Iker) (03/21/07)
City Controller Approval:
Marlee Chang (03/21/07)
City Manager Approval:
Jerry B. Fulwood (03/21/07) City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
Adoption of the proposed resolution does not create a fiscal impact.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Letter Dated February 28, 2007 from Peace Over Violence.
2. Proposed Resolution.
MOTION:
That the City Council:
Adopt a resolution declaring April, 2007 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and
April 25, 2007 as Denim Day in the City of Culver City.
MEETING DATE: March 26, 2007
AGENDA ITEM: Adoption of a Resolution Proclaiming April as Sexual Assault
Awareness Month and April 25, 2007 as Denim Day
ATTACHMENTS
Pages
1. Letter from Peace Over Violence
1-2
2. Proposed Resolution 3-4PREVENTION
AND EDUCATION
ENTMIF
C C,
February 28, 2007
Mayor Gary Silbiger
9770 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
Dear Mayor Silbiger:
RECEIVED
MAR 0 5 2001
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE %TICE
annual denim day in I.a.
a peace over violence project
605 west olympic boulevard
suite 400
los angeles, california 90015
213 . 955 . 9090 office
213. 955 . 9093 fax
213. 955 . 9095 TM
denimdayinla.org
infoOdenimdayinla.org
ilL
Patricia Giggans
Peace Over Violence
Executive Director
Deborah Kl.ar
Peace Over Violence
Board President
Calista Flockhart
Peace Over Violence
National Spokesperson
In 1999 an Italian Supreme Court decision overturned a rape conviction because the victim wore
jeans. The justices stated that the victim must have helped her attacker remove her jeans, from
which they inferred consent. People all over the world were outraged. Wearing jeans became an
international symbol of protest against erroneous and destructive attitudes about sexual assault.
The Denim Day in L.A. protests here in Los Angeles, spearheaded by Peace Over Violence
(formerly the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women), have evolved into an
annual county-wide, highly publicized rape prevention education campaign
Last year, over 250,000 individuals, 400 organizations and businesses and 49 cities in Los Angeles
County signed up to support Denim Day in LA. Thousands of men, women and youth wore jeans,
posted rape prevention education materials, supported prevention programs by donating to the
Dollars For Denim campaign and talked with friends and colleagues about rape myths and
realities.
This year, Peace Over Violence will present the 9 th Annual Denim Day in L.A. on April 25th, 2007.
We hope to have half a million people involved in various events at high schools, universities,
businesses and commercial venues. We will provide action kits and educational materials to
everyone who gets involved to help them plan their own activities and educate their communities
regarding sexual assault We want to have an unprecedented impact—undertaking a massive
community education program, encouraging people to break the silence that surrounds sexual
violence, raising public awareness about the myths and realities of sexual assault, teaching men
and women how to prevent sexual assault, encouraging survivors to heal from the trauma of
sexual assault and getting thousands of people to take a public stand against sexual violence by
wearing jeans on April 25th, 2007.
We would like to ask you to support Denim Day in L.A. by passing a resolution recognizing April
as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and April 25 th, 2007 as Denim Day in the City of Culver City.
If you decide to support Denim Day in L.A., we will add your name to the official list of
participating organizations and will provide you with Denim Day in L.A. educational materials to
post in appropriate locations. We have enclosed a sample proclamation for your use. We hope
you will join us in this important effort.
If you have any questions, please contact Zara Bukirin at 213-955-9090.
Sincerely,
pEq1c..,±ovryloience.org
info@peaceoverviolence.orgSample Denim Day Proclamation
Declaring April as "Sexual Assault Awareness Month"
and April 25, 2007 as "Denim Day" in the City of Culver City
WHEREAS, the United States Government has declared April as "Sexual Assault Awareness
Month" and Peace Over Violence (formerly the Los Angeles Commission on
Assaults Against Women) has declared April 25, 2007 as "Denim Day" in Los
Angeles County; and
WHEREAS, the goal of "Denim Day" is to support survivors and to prevent sexual violence;
and
WHEREAS, both events are intended to draw attention to the fact that rape and sexual
violence remains a serious issue in our society; and
WHEREAS, injurious attitudes about rape and sexual violence allow these crimes to persist
and allow victim/survivors to be re-victimized; and
WHEREAS, "Sexual Assault Awareness Month" and "Denim Day" were also instituted to
call attention to false impressions and misinformation about rape and sexual
violence, and the problem that many in society remain disturbingly uninformed
with respect to issues of violence and forcible rape; and
WHEREAS, the importance of this issue is underlined by statistics indicating that there were
2,384 reported rapes in the County of Los Angeles in 2005 i, 82.8% of rapes
committed by an intimate are not reported to the police ii, approximately 1-in-6
women are raped during their lifetime", 29% of all forcible rapes occur when the
victims are less than age 11 iv and one in 33 internet users younger than 17
received an aggressive sexual solicitation involving offfine contact or a request
for offline contact v; and
WHEREAS, with proper education on the matter, there is compelling evidence that we can be
successful in reducing incidents of this alarming and psychologically damaging
crime; and
WHEREAS, the members of the Culver City City Council strongly support the efforts of
Peace Over Violence to educate persons in our community about the true impact
of rape and sexual violence in Southern California.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Culver City does hereby proclaim the
month of April 2007 as "Sexual Assault Awareness Month," designates April 25,
2007 as "Denim Day," and urges everyone to wear jeans and attend Denim Day
observances in their area on April 25, 2007 to help communicate the message that
there is "no excuse and never an invitation to rape."
i Criminal Justice Statistics Center, CA Attorney General's Office, 2005
Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Rape Victimization: Findings From the National Violence Against Women Survey, National Institute
of Justice Special Report, 2006
Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Rape Victimization: Findings From the National Violence Against Women Survey, National Institute
of Justice Special Report, 2006
iv California Coalition Against Sexual Assault 2005 Research on Rape and Violence Report
v Online Victimization: A Report on the Nation's Youth, The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, June 2000I|1010101010101010 10
10|11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
RESOLUTION NO. 2007-R
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA, DECLARING APRIL AS
"SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH" AND APRIL
25, 2007 AS "DENIM DAY" IN THE CITY OF CULVER
CITY.
WHEREAS, the United States Government has declared April as "Sexual
Assault Awareness Month" and Peace Over Violence (formerly the Los Angeles
Commission on Assaults Against Women) has declared April 25, 2007 as "Denim Day" in
Los Angeles County; and
WHEREAS, the goal of "Denim Day" is to support survivors of sexual assault
and to prevent sexual violence; and
WHEREAS, both events are intended to draw attention to the fact that rape
and sexual violence remain a serious issue in our society; and
WHEREAS, injurious attitudes about rape and sexual violence allow these
crimes to persist and allow victims/survivors to be re-victimized; and
WHEREAS, "Sexual Assault Awareness Month" and "Denim Day" were also
instituted to call attention to false impressions and misinformation about rape and sexual
violence, and the problem that many in society remain disturbingly uninformed with respect
to issues of violence and forcible rape; and
WHEREAS, the importance of this issue is underlined by statistics indicating
that there were 2,384 reported rapes in the County of Los Angeles in 2005, 82.8% of rapes
committed by an intimate are not reported to the police; approximately 1-in-6 women areAPPRO E
kOL A. SCHWAB, City A orney
-2-
raped during their lifetime; 29% of all forcible rapes occur when the victims are less than
age 11; and one in 33 Internet users younger than 17 received an aggressive sexual
solicitation involving offline contact or a request for offline contact; and
WHEREAS, with proper education on the matter, there is compelling
evidence that we can be successful in reducing incidents of this alarming and
psychologically damaging crime; and
WHEREAS, the members of the Culver City City Council strongly support the
efforts of Peace Over Violence to educate persons in our community about the true impact
of rape and sexual violence in Southern California.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Culver City, California,
DOES HEREBY RESOLVE as follows:
1. That the City Council of the City of Culver City hereby proclaims the
month of April, 2007 as "Sexual Assault Awareness Month," designates April 25, 2007 as
"Denim Day" in the City of Culver City, and urges everyone to wear jeans and attend Denim
Day observances in their area on April 25, 2007 to help communicate the message that
there is "no excuse and never an invitation to rape."
APPROVED and ADOPTED this day of 2007.
GARY SILBIGER, Mayor
ATTEST:
CHRISTOPHER ARMENTA, City Clerk
A07-00242
Cz) ‘-|101010101010101010 10
10|11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28