It’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month—And We Have Work to Do
By Trinity Barnette
April 1st. For most people, it’s a day of jokes and pranks.
But here? There’s nothing funny about today.
Because April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and this moment deserves more than silence, more than hashtags, and more than just “awareness.”
It deserves action. Rage. Truth. And a whole lot of uncomfortable honesty.
This month, I’m not pulling punches. I’m not here to make people comfortable. I’m here to talk about the reality of sexual violence, the systems that protect abusers, and the survivors who deserve better. If you’re here for the fluff, you’re in the wrong place. But if you’re here for truth? Welcome. Let’s begin.
This month isn’t just about awareness—it’s about action.
That’s why I’m proud to amplify the work of RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization and a constant force in the fight for justice. Their April campaign,
#ActWithRAINN, is focused on empowering survivors and demanding change, including their National Congressional Day of Action on April 8, 2025, where advocates across the country will call on lawmakers to pass critical legislation addressing sexual violence.
They even created a custom graphic for me to share this message with you, and I’m beyond honored. I don’t take this relationship lightly—and one day, I hope to support RAINN with not just my platform, but with millions in donations. Because they’ve always been about more than words. They’ve been about results.
So if you’re reading this, I invite you to act with us.
Support survivors. Demand justice. Take it down.
One of the most urgent pieces of legislation on the table this year is the TAKE IT DOWN Act—and if you care about survivors, this needs to be on your radar.
This bill is designed to combat the spread of sexually explicit images and content shared without consent, particularly online. That includes revenge porn, child sexual abuse material, and deepfakes—yes, even the AI-generated ones that people think are “just fantasy.” It’s not fantasy. It’s trauma, weaponized and spread with the click of a button.
Passing this act would create federal protections, offer legal pathways for survivors to have this content removed, and hold platforms accountable for profiting off other people’s pain.
It’s one of the clearest examples of how we can actually protect victims instead of just tweeting “believe survivors.” We need more than performative outrage—we need policy. The TAKE IT DOWN Act is a step toward reclaiming control, restoring dignity, and reminding lawmakers that survivors are watching.
The numbers don’t lie—and they’re horrifying.
1 in 3 women will experience sexual violence in their lifetime.
1 in 6 men will too.
1 in 2 trans individuals will experience some form of sexual assault or abuse.
And the majority of survivors? Never report.
Not because it didn’t happen—but because they’re silenced, shamed, disbelieved, and retraumatized by the system that’s supposed to protect them.
These are not just statistics. These are your classmates. Your friends. Your coworkers. Your sisters. Your mothers. Maybe even you.
That’s why this month matters so much to me—because this isn’t theoretical. It’s personal. I’ve seen what this world does to survivors. I’ve felt it. And I carry that fire into every post, every blog, and every piece of advocacy I do.
I don’t write about this because it’s trending.
I write about it because it’s my life.
Because I’ve experienced the misogyny. The bullying. The harassment. The moments where you question your safety just for existing. I’ve felt the rage that builds in your chest when justice is denied—again, and again, and again.
This work is personal. And it always will be.
That’s why I don’t sugarcoat my words. That’s why I’m unapologetically bold, aggressive, and confrontational in everything I write. Because survivors don’t need politeness—they need protection. They need truth. They need someone who isn’t afraid to scream when everyone else is whispering.
This is why I created Raw Reflections. Not to be famous. Not to be liked. But to be real—for the people who need it most.
So here’s my promise to you:
This month—and every month—I will keep speaking.
Louder. Bolder. Angrier.
Because survivors deserve more than silence and sympathy. They deserve justice, protection, and a world that actually gives a damn.
I’ll keep writing the blog posts that make people uncomfortable.
I’ll keep calling out the predators, the systems that protect them, and the fake allies who say all the right things but do nothing.
And I’ll keep standing with RAINN, with survivors, and with you—whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever your story is.
This is just the beginning.
This is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Let’s take it down. Let’s support survivors.
Let’s raise hell—and demand better.
Thank you for reading.
Thank you for showing up.
Now let’s get to work.
