Now Reading
You Have The Right to Sexual Assault Support

You Have The Right to Sexual Assault Support

Sexual assault

“Our culture is very sex-averse and doesn’t want to talk about sex, which plays into sexual violence where we just don’t want to talk about it, so it’s this silent epidemic. It’s not a fun topic, not a comfortable topic, but the more we do [talk about sexual assault], the more people will be able to access the services they need.” – Brie Franklin

Raising awareness, having these uncomfortable and courageous conversations, and connecting survivors to supportive services is exactly why the Colorado Coalition for Sexual Assault created their new You Have The Right campaign. This site serves as a network of Colorado-based organizations that support sexual assault survivors regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. “You Have the Right” and its Spanish-language counterpart, Tiene el Derecho, provide a map of support services in the state and relevant facts for survivors.

According to Brie Franklin, the campaign’s Denver-based Director, “The general public often thinks, ‘Oh, you were raped, so you need to report’ and that’s the only avenue, but there are many ways survivors can move through healing, not just the criminal justice system.” This opens doors for survivors across the identity spectrum because it skips what has traditionally been known as a vital step to the entire process: reporting. Survivors didn’t get basic medical care if they didn’t report, much less access to other avenues of healing.

History of “You Have the Right”

Franklin states that “‘You Have The Right’ started after the anonymous reporting law passed in 2013 and the general public didn’t necessarily know about it. CCASA wanted to educate the public so everyone could know about the new rights and resources, in case it opens new avenues for support to those who otherwise might not seek it.” This is especially true for the LGBTQ community, who do a lot of medical advocacy themselves just to ensure their needs are met. It’s also true for communities of color who may not want to involve law enforcement.

You Have The Right explains all options available to survivors and most of them don’t involve a police report. In fact, their client-centered, trauma-informed staff understand extremely well how many steps may come before reaching out to police, if at all. They’re here to provide accessible, equitable support along the way.

Trauma-informed Options

One of their fabulous partners, the Pueblo Rape Crisis Services, provides specially trained advocates that are considered privileged confidential advocates. Not only do they strive to remove as much bias as possible, that privileged confidential status is quite special. Privileged confidential means their advocates hold legal privilege. They have a level of confidentiality where they’re not subpoena-able and aren’t allowed to talk to anyone without a release of information. Many sexual assault advocates hold this status, but most of us simply aren’t aware.

For example, if a survivor has a criminal record, if they were using drugs or engaging in prostitution, they can receive services without worrying about involvement from law enforcement. They also won’t have to worry about their advocates sharing unnecessary information. In a culture of victim-blaming, this removes a major barrier for those worried about simply being believed.

PRCS is also intentionally LGBTQ-inclusive, especially since statistics show that the LGBTQ population is disproportionately targeted for sexual violence. “If you’re already having to do medical advocacy for yourself as a vulnerable individual, the people at the beginning of that crisis intervention should have as little bias as possible,” says Executive Director Kirsten Taylor. “You don’t want to have your worst day and not be believed because of the way you look. We use the right pronouns. We use the right names. Every aspect of our encounter is as inclusive as it can be.” And PRCS is just one of a long list of local providers across the state who strive to break the stigmas and barriers to both seeking and receiving support.

Holistic Support

This network of crisis centers provides holistic options, resources, and support. They help survivors navigate other systems like housing and education if they need to move. They also educate friends and families about providing compassionate support and connect survivors to peer groups across the state. The advocacy provided by CCASA, including You Have The Right, is just one piece of an amazing puzzle. CCASA also provides culturally relevant information for their communities, including multilingual accessibility, and intends to undertake a pilot project to explore the use of restorative justice so that sexual assault survivors can feel some justice, healing, and accountability outside of the criminal justice system.

You Have The Right is specific to Colorado. National resources for sexual assault specific to the LGBTQ community include FORGE and the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. FORGE stands for For Ourselves: Reworking Gender Expression and home to the Transgender Sexual Violence Project. The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs is a coalition of programs that document and advocate for victims of anti-LGBTQ and anti-HIV/AIDS violence/harassment, domestic violence, sexual assault, police misconduct, and other forms of victimization.

We still have a lot of work to do to end this silent epidemic, but awareness and access are already underway. As Taylor says, “The more folks that are willing to talk about a topic that no-one wants to talk about, maybe we can actually change reality and actually have an impact on sexual violence in our world.”

What's Your Reaction?
Excited
0
Happy
0
In Love
0
Not Sure
0
Silly
0
Scroll To Top