Celebrating 25 years of Denim Day in California, VALOR’s California Denim Day Rally embodies VALOR’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month theme: Collective Voice. Collective Action. Collective Power.

Ya Basta Women and Sandra Henriquez holding signs for Denim Day standing on the steps of the California Capitol

VALOR, policymakers, and community partners wore denim on Wednesday as a day of action and awareness, calling for the State of California to support and backfill federal cuts to the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). 

Crime victim services in California is facing a 44.7% reduction from 2023, and this Denim Day was framed by the realities of survivors should the state not step in and allocate $200 million in this year’s budget. 

Sandra Henriquez speaking at VALOR's California Denim Day Rally 2024Sandra Henriquez, VALOR’s CEO, highlighted how far the anti-sexual violence movement has come as a community and how VALOR continues to grow. Her powerful speech called for action on putting survivors first, as we cannot let survivors slip through the cracks as rape crisis centers contemplate layoffs, lowering the number of survivors helped, or even worse, closing altogether.

 

Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes speaking at VALOR's California Denim Day Rally 2024. Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes, our fearless champion in the California Assembly, reminded us that, “It is more important than ever to ensure that we not only speak up for victims, but take action to protect them.” Assemblymember Reyes further brought attention to two bills moving through the CA legislature, AB 1956 which she introduced and AB 2432 which she jointly authored, that will potentially curb the effects of VOCA cuts, and ensure survivors will continue to receive the lifesaving support they deserve.

Senator Susan Rubio speaking at VALOR's California Denim Day Rally 2024. Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer speaking at VALOR's California Denim Day Rally 2024.

“We are here to collectively fight for the funding that so many of our communities depend on,” shared Senator Susan Rubio in her moving speech. As a survivor of domestic violence, Senator Rubio passionately voiced that clothing does not imply consent and that no always means no. Concurrently, as a survivor, Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer called for action to support other survivors through sufficient funding.

Leigh LaChapelle speaking at VALOR's California Denim Day Rally 2024. Krista Colon speaking at VALOR's California Denim Day Rally 2024. Community leaders Krista Colón from The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence and Leigh LaChapelle from the Coalition to AbolishSlavery and Trafficking spoke on the importance of crime victim services and the realities that survivors of sexual violence, domestic violence, child abuse, human trafficking, and others will face should the state not step in to help.

 

Amparo Gonzalez speaking at VALOR's California Denim Day Rally 2024. Guadalupe Ramos speaking at VALOR's California Denim Day Rally 2024. Guadalupe Ramos and Amparo Gonzalez from ¡Ya Basta! Center shared their experiences and echoed the realities Krista and Leigh shared, as they work to prevent sexual violence for janitorial workers and attendees from Lideres Campesinas uplifted the urgent call.

Additionally, District Attorney of San Joaquin County Ron Freitas joined the rallying call to fund crime victim services and highlighted how a lack of funding will impact multiple programs across every county in California. District Attorney of San Joaquin County Ron Freitas speaking at VALOR's California Denim Day Rally 2024.

All speakers urged the same message: even during bad budget years, survivors deserve access to safe and supportive services.