City of West Hollywood Recognizes April as National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month

The City of West Hollywood joins communities around the world to recognize National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month in April to raise awareness about sexual violence, to educate communities and individuals about their role in prevention, and to take collective action in support of survivors. Community members can amplify the Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month message by using the hashtags #SAAPM, #OnlyYes, #Consent and #DenimDay on social media channels.

The City is continuing its work to raise awareness about sexual assault and consent with its Only Yes Means Yes campaign. First launched in 2016, the campaign was expanded in 2021 with additional focused outreach, graphics, and messaging in and around nightlife establishments. Sexual assault awareness and prevention information and resources, such as drink-spiking test strips are being distributed throughout the month of April in the community and are also available at West Hollywood City Hall.

The City will conduct an outreach activity on Sunday, April 26, 2026 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the City's Rainbow District to encourage people to be more aware of sexual assault, to promote a message of consent with its Only Yes Means Yes public awareness campaign, and to distribute drink-spiking test strips that are designed to detect the possible presence of "date rape" drugs, such as GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate) or ketamine. Awareness and prevention materials distributed to the public include nightlife safety kits containing drink-spiking test strips, fentanyl detection strips, condoms, safety tip cards, as well as substance abuse prevention, and harm-reduction resources.

This outreach activity will occur as part of the Safer WeHo Coalition's second annual Spring Resource Pop-Up, an event created to provide education on the risks of accidental overdose, raise awareness about prevention strategies, and equip attendees with harm reduction supplies and resources to help prevent overdose and save lives. Outreach participants will include members of the West Hollywood City Council; the Los Angeles LGBT Center's WeHo Life program and its Survivor Services team; members of the City of West Hollywood's Women's Advisory Board and Public Safety Commission, and the City's Security Ambassadors. Participants will pass out awareness and prevention materials to the public around various nightlife locations in the City. More information is available on the City's calendar.

The City of West Hollywood will also recognize Denim Day on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. Denim Day is an internationally recognized day to raise awareness about rape and sexual assault, founded by the nonprofit organization Peace Over Violence following a 1999 court ruling in Italy in which a rape conviction case was overturned with the argument that, because the victim had been wearing tight jeans at the time of the assault, she must have been expressing consent.

The City encourages community members to wear denim on Denim Day. Each year, City staff members and public safety partners from the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station recognize Denim Day by wearing denim and participating in a group photo to raise awareness. Denim Day recognition is organized each year by the City's Community Safety Department in the spirit of uniting against sexual assault, to break the silence about sexual violence, and to stand up in support of survivors. Community members who participate in the recognition day can amplify the Denim Day message by using the hashtag #DenimDay on social media.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five women in America experiences a rape or attempted rape, and nearly 44% of women and 25% of men experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. Within the LGBTQ community, approximately one in eight lesbian women (13%) and nearly half of bisexual women (46%), have been raped in their lifetime; four in 10 gay men (40%), and nearly half of bisexual men (47%) have experienced sexual violence other than rape in their lifetime. In addition, having multiple disabilities can increase a person's risk of rape and sexual assault. Women with disabilities are twice as likely to suffer assault and rape, and children with mental health or intellectual disabilities are almost five times more likely to experience sexual abuse. According to a 2015 U.S. Trans Survey conducted by the National Center for Transgender Equality, approximately 47% of transgender people are sexually assaulted in their lifetime.

If you or someone you care about has been a victim of sexual assault, domestic violence or intimate partner stalking, there are resources to help:

The Rape Treatment Center (RTC) at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center provides free comprehensive treatment for sexual assault victims and their families, including 24-hour emergency medical care, forensic examinations, crisis counseling and transportation. The RTC can be reached 24 hours a day at (424) 259-7208 or at uclahealth.org/medical-services/rtc.

The Los Angeles County Rape and Battering Hotline, Peace Over Violence, a confidential non-judgmental resource where emotional support, advocacy, information, and referrals are available, can be reached 24-hours-a-day by contacting (213) 626-3393 or (310) 392-8381 or at www.peaceoverviolence.org.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center's Survivor Services works to increase access to mental health and supportive services for LGBTQ+ survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and intimate partner abuse at (323) 860-5806 or (323) 993-7649.

The Jewish Family Service's Family Violence Program provides confidential 24-hour crisis lines for victims of abuse at (818) 505-0900 or (323) 681-2626.

The Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN), organizes the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline, a referral service that can put people in contact with their local rape crisis center. The hotline can be reached 24 hours a day at (800) 656-4673, or individuals can access RAINN's chat feature for help at www.rainn.org.

The City of West Hollywood and the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station urge anyone who believes they are a victim of any crime - or anyone in the community with any public safety concerns - to reach out to the Sheriff's Station 24/7 at (310) 855-8850. In an emergency, always call 911. Additionally, the City's 24/7/365 Security Ambassador program provides a highly visible uniformed presence at the street level and security services include uniformed bicycle, kiosk, foot patrol, fixed post, special event, and transit Security Ambassador program services in the City of West Hollywood. Security Ambassadors are deployed along major streets, alleys, City parking lots, and residential neighborhoods. Among other services, Ambassadors can provide in-person responses 24/7 to non-violent calls for service and conduct safety escorts for residents, businesses, and visitors. The Security Ambassador Hotline provides access to free 24/7 support by phone or text at (323) 848-6500.

The City of West Hollywood has a range of ongoing efforts in place to assist in creating and maintaining a safe environment in nightlife business establishments that serve alcohol. The City of West Hollywood became the first city in California to pass an Ordinance, in late 2021, to require Bystander Intervention Training for personnel in business establishments that serve alcohol for onsite consumption. The training program began in March 2022; training is provided by the Rape Treatment Center (RTC) at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center and provides an educational course that addresses the issue of drug-facilitated sexual assaults and date rape drugs. The training also promotes the proactive role that onsite alcoholic beverage sales establishments can take in the prevention of sexual assaults.

For additional information about the City of West Hollywood's Bystander Intervention Training program for establishments that serve alcohol for onsite consumption, please contact Danny Rivas, the City of West Hollywood's Director of Community Safety at (323) 848-6424 or at [email protected].

The City, in partnership with the Los Angeles LGBT Center's WeHo Life program, distributes drink-spiking test strips to West Hollywood nightlife establishments. Outreach staff from the WeHo Life program began test-strip distribution efforts in October 2022 to inform and educate community members and businesses that drink-spiking test strips are a tool for personal safety that can be used anywhere at any time. Local businesses and event promoters interested in partnering can contact WeHo Life at https://lalgbtcenter.org/programs/weho-life/.

The City of West Hollywood's Public Safety website area provides personal safety tips for nightlife safety and sexual assault prevention and resources; please visit: https://www.weho.org/city-government/city-departments/community-safety/public-safety/crime-prevention-and-personal-safety-tips/sexual-assault-prevention-night-club-safety.

The City of West Hollywood provides a variety of helpful tips on its website regarding safety and prevention. To find out more, please visit www.weho.org/publicsafety.

For more information about Denim Day, please call the City's Community Safety Department at (323) 848-6414. To find out more information about the City's Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month Outreach, please contact the City of West Hollywood's Community Programs Coordinator Larissa Fooks at (323) 848-6413 or [email protected]. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing dial 711 or 1-800-735-2929 (TTY) or 1-800-735-2922 (voice) for California Relay Service (CRS) assistance.

For up-to-date information about City of West Hollywood news and events, follow @wehocity on social media, sign-up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City's calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar. Receive text updates by texting "WeHo" to (323) 848-5000. Read feature articles about people, places, and City events at www.helloweho.com. City Hall programs and services information is available at www.weho.org.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood's Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or [email protected].