City Recognizes Denim Day during National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month

Drawing attention to consent, survivor support, and community safety, the City of West Hollywood marked National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month in April 2026 with a series of outreach efforts aimed at education, prevention, and empowerment.

The City expanded its longstanding Only Yes Means Yes consent campaign, which originally launched in 2016 and expanded in 2021, to include more targeted outreach in nightlife settings. Throughout the month, City staff and community partners distributed educational materials and harm-reduction resources across West Hollywood, reinforcing messages about consent, sexual assault prevention, and personal safety.

One of the month’s signature events took place on Sunday, April 26, when the City joined the Safer WeHo Coalition’s second annual Spring Resource Pop-Up in the City’s Rainbow District. Outreach teams engaged residents and visitors near nightlife venues, distributing nightlife safety kits containing drink-spiking test strips, fentanyl detection strips, condoms, safety tip cards, and information about substance abuse prevention and survivor services.

The outreach effort brought together a broad coalition of advocates and public safety partners, including members of the West Hollywood City Council, the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s WeHo Life program and Survivor Services team, the City’s Women’s Advisory Board and Public Safety Commission, and the City’s Security Ambassadors. Together, participants promoted awareness about drug-facilitated sexual assault and emphasized the importance of consent and bystander intervention in nightlife environments.

The City also observed Denim Day on Wednesday, April 29, joining communities around the world in standing against sexual violence. City employees wore denim and participated in a group recognition photo to honor survivors and raise awareness about rape and sexual assault. The annual observance traces its origins to a 1999 court ruling in Italy that sparked international outrage after a rape conviction was overturned based on the argument that the victim’s tight jeans implied consent.

Throughout the month, officials highlighted the disproportionate impact that sexual violence has had on women, LGBTQ+ people, transgender people, and people with disabilities. City outreach efforts highlighted the importance of accessible survivor resources and community education. The City directed residents and visitors to organizations such as the UCLA Rape Treatment Center, Peace Over Violence, the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Survivor Services program, Jewish Family Service’s Family Violence Program, and the national RAINN hotline for support and assistance.

West Hollywood also spotlighted its ongoing public safety initiatives designed to reduce sexual violence in nightlife settings. The City is the first municipality in California to require Bystander Intervention Training for personnel working in establishments serving alcohol for onsite consumption. The training program, launched in 2022 in partnership with the UCLA Rape Treatment Center, educates hospitality workers about drug-facilitated sexual assault prevention and proactive intervention strategies.

In partnership with the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s WeHo Life program, the City continued distributing drink-spiking test strips to nightlife businesses and event promoters as part of a broader effort to strengthen community safety and awareness.

Denim Day event photos by Jon Viscott are viewable on the City’s official Flickr account: