Sexual Assault Awareness Month

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Since we know this is a topic that hits close to home for a lot of VPers, we'd like to organize a blog carnival to give people a chance to share their stories as well as to bring them all together in one place.

The 2012 campaign focuses on developing respect and healthy sexuality, which is definitely something worth reading, writing, and thinking about:

This April, it’s time to start a dialogue, and the topic of the conversation is healthy sexuality.

The 2012 Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) campaign encourages communities and individuals to join the conversation on how we connect and respect one another in order to prevent sexual violence.

Who can write: Anyone who keeps a blog and has thoughts to share or a story to tell that's consistent with VP's mission and ideals.

I want to write. How do I participate?

1. Comment here or email me (frolicnaked@vaginapagina.com) ASAP to let me know you're planning to write. This is just so I can get a rough estimate of how many people are interested in participating; it doesn't obligate you in any way. (Comments here will initially be screened. See #3.)


2. Write your post. Please make sure it's published and public by 9:00PM EDT on Monday, April 16th. If you;'re so inclined, copy and paste the code for the badge onto your post.


3. Once your post is published, email me or comment here with a link to your post along with your name (real, LJ, etc.) as you wish to be credited here. Also, it's much appreciated if you'd include trigger warnings, content notes, or key words as you feel are appropriate. Comments here will be initially screened on account of the increased possibility of spammers and trolls. Because this means I will be reading every single post to make sure they're legit, extra super Internet cookies to anyone who submits early. ;)


4. I'll compile all the submissions into one finished post. Once that's posted in VP, I'll edit this post with a link to that one.

I don't want to write. Is there another way to help?

1. Before April 16th, you can promote this announcement in blogs, communities, social media outlets, and other venues where it is cool and welcome to do so. One way to do that would be by copying and pasting the code for the badge into a post on your own journal or blog.


2. Once everything is pulled together on the 17th, letting folks know about that would be awesome too!

If you're so inclined, you can copy and paste the code below to embed this badge on your own journal post.

<a href="http://vaginapagina.livejournal.com/20788673.html"><img src="http://s8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/frolicnaked/Public%20Album/BlogCarnivalLogo2.jpg" alt="Sexual Assault Awareness Month Blog Carnival"></a>

Please help us talk about consensual, respectful, and informed sexuality!

Thanks,
Tori
For the VP Team
contact_vp

Comments

[kaylaashley985.livejournal.com]

the post should be in our personal journal? where should we post it? btw, i'm interested in writing

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

Ideally in your personal journal, yes, if you're comfortable doing so. Let me check with the other maintainers about the possibility of people posting directly to VP and/or maintainers posting on behalf of folks who'd like to remain anonymous. (The last two are just things I had not considered before you brought them up.)

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

Hi again. Just clarifying that yes, for the sake of keeping the VP main page manageable (especially for folk who might be asking about urgent health issues), we'd prefer if possible that contributors post to their personal journals.

If that's not feasible, however, or if anyone would prefer to contribute anonymously, you can do so by emailing vpteam@vaginapagina.com, and we'll post in VP on your behalf.

Thanks!

[kaylaashley985.livejournal.com]

awesome, one more question... we are explain, like, our experience with this issue? like, what happened to us?

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

That is certainly one option, if you're comfortable doing so (either in your own journal or anonymously via the maintainers). But -- particularly because this year's SAAM theme involves talking about healthy sexuality -- possible writing topics broaden considerably. For example, I haven't written my own piece yet, but topics I'm considering [list may be triggering]:

• Navigating consent with respectful partners, what it looks like (at least in my relationships).


• Especially, navigating consent in BDSM/kink activities, and why safewords alone aren't enough.


• Why rape jokes are 100% uncool and the harm they can cause.


• Concern-trolling and policing: Basically, when other people wonder if I "really should be" wearing this or going there, ostensibly out of concern for my safety, i.e., that I might be assaulted.

While any of those could certainly be written by a survivor, they're not necessarily something that only survivors could talk about, even from personal experience.

So a lot of it is up to what you want to do.

(Also as a general preemptive for anyone reading, please feel free to grab from that list of topics if you so choose.)

[adele87.livejournal.com]

Can you submit survivor stories, or no?

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

Yes, absolutely.

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

Writing does not have to be limited to sexual violence only. Anything that falls under the topic of "healthy sexuality" and/or "encourages communities and individuals to join the conversation on how we connect and respect one another in order to prevent sexual violence" would be welcome.

I'm going to rescreen this comment after I post to protect privacy. (Others have mentioned wanting the same.) Feel free to PM me or comment here again if you'd prefer that I unscreen it.

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

Thank you! We value having you here.