White Sands Missile Range Commander Brig. Gen. George C. Turner signed a proclamation declaring the month of April Sexual Assault Awareness Month April 16 at Headquarters.
“It is unfortunate that we have to have a Sexual Assault Awareness Month due to the fact that this is a problem in our formations,” Turner said. “Here at White Sands, we have zero tolerance for sexual assault.”
Angela Gutierrez-Macias, the Installation Sexual Assault/Harassment Prevention Victim Advocate, organized the event at Headquarters. She thanked everyone for attending the event.
“This is a very important cause. It is something that is near and dear to my heart,” she said. “I’ve worked a lot of cases and supported a lot of individuals.”
The proclamation reads: This month our Army will observe the 21st annual Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month with the theme “Step Forward: Prevent, Report, Advocate”. The Step Forward campaign is a call to action for all individuals to use their personal and collective strength to advance meaningful change in preventing and responding to sexual violence.
We all have a part in combating sexual assault, and Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month offers an excellent opportunity to focus attention on our individual roles. We should be able to identify situations that pose a risk for sexual harassment and sexual assault and demonstrate the social courage to safely correct harmful behavior.
The Army’s preventive approach engages Leaders, Service Members, Family Members, and Civilians at all levels, to make a personal commitment to stopping the criminal acts of sexual assault and sexual harassment. By committing to a command climate where everyone is afforded the opportunity to achieve their full human potential Service Members, Family Members, and Civilians are empowered to recognize, intervene, and stop sexual assault and sexual harassment.
An Army free of sexual assault and sexual harassment, where every Service Member, Family Member and Civilian is treated with dignity and respect, is a fundamental right for everyone in our ranks.
WSMR will also observe Denim Day on April 21 in observance of a rape case in Italy where the Supreme Court overturned the rape case arguing that the young woman consented because the young woman wore tight jeans, it was assumed that she must have helped remove her jeans, therefore, consented.
Enraged by the verdict, the women in the Italian Parliament launched into immediate action and protested by wearing jeans on the steps of the Italian Parliament building.
This was the beginning of what has become a worldwide event and movement to wear jeans as a visible means of protest against misconceptions that surround sexual assault.
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