April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The mission of SAAM is to increase public understanding of sexual assault and educate communities on how to prevent it. We know that a single month isn’t enough to address the significant and widespread problem of sexual assault. However, April holds space for the attention, prevention efforts, and survivor support we hope to strengthen and expand throughout the year.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2025 Events
March 31
Support Table
11:30 am - 1 pm | Illinois Wesleyan University
YWCA Stepping Stones will be in attendance to raise awareness of our services among college students. Stop by the support table to learn about our services, meet our staff and show your support for survivors of sexual assault.
All Month
Teal Chair Project
Various Local Businesses
The Teal Chair Project serves as a reminder that no one has to go through the aftermath of sexual violence alone. The chairs are intended to also remind us that sexual violence happens right here in McLean County. Stop by a participating local business to show your support!
All Month
Sexual Violence Support Table
Bobzbay Bookstore
Discover an engaging book display at Bobzbay Bookstore in Downtown Bloomington, featuring a thoughtfully curated collection of literature addressing sexual assault—from evocative fiction and compelling memoirs to insightful non‑fiction and stirring poetry. In collaboration with Stepping Stones, this display also offers vital resources to support survivors and foster community awareness.
April 2
Support Table
11:30 am - 1 pm | Illinois Wesleyan University
YWCA Stepping Stones will be in attendance to raise awareness of our services among college students. Stop by the support table to learn about our services, meet our staff and show your support for survivors of sexual assault.
April 9
Day of (No) Silence
11 am - 3 pm | Illinois State University
Day of (No) Silence is a student-led demonstration where participants break the imposed silence resulting from harassment and discrimination against LGBTQIA individuals in schools. This reimagined event transforms a traditional vow of silence into a powerful call to speak out, challenging harmful norms and creating safer environments to help prevent sexual violence against LGBTQIA+ folx.
April 16
Consent Day Support Table
11 am - 3 pm | Illinois State University
Explore consent and its vital role in healthy relationships for Consent Day. Visit with campus student organizations, learn how to empower yourself to communicate consent, and take a pledge to commit to consent and helping end sexual violence.
April 23
The Clothesline Project
11 am - 2 pm | Illinois State University
The Clothesline Project is a visual display bearing witness to violence against individuals. During the public display, a clothesline is hung with shirts decorated to represent an individual's experience, made by the survivor or a loved one.
April 26
Final Steps Awareness Walk
10 am - 12 pm | Miller Park
Join us in supporting survivors and Sexual Assault Awareness Month with a peaceful and accessible walk around the pond at Miller Park. Tables will be stationed along the route to provide information about Stepping Stones, kid's games and a therapeutic art activity.
Registration is not required, but encouraged to reserve a SAAM shirt. Register below.
April 30
Wear Denim Day Support Table
11 am - 2 pm | Illinois State University
Denim Day is a campaign that aims to raise awareness about sexual violence and education. It began as a protest against the 1998 Italian Supreme Court decision that overturned a rape conviction because the victim was wearing tight jeans. Denim Day's purpose is to start conversations about attitudes surrounding sexual assault, such as victim blaming.
Final Steps Awareness Walk
Join us for a relaxing walk around the pond at Miller Park to raise awareness of Sexual Assault Awareness Month and show support for survivors!
By participating, you can help support survivors and raise awareness about the compounding impact of sexual violence. Participants will walk together to show their support for survivors and help create a safer and more supportive community.
Let's lace up our sneakers and walk together to show our support for survivors of sexual violence!
What Were You Wearing? Exhibit
"What were you wearing?" is one of the most commonly asked questions of survivors after a sexual assault. This question takes blame away from the perpetrator and implies that a person's choice of clothing invites a sexual assault. The only person responsible for sexual violence is the perpetrator.
Stepping Stones, McLean County's Sexual Violence Crisis Center, is currently accepting submissions for our "What Were You Wearing?" exhibit. This exhibit displays ANONYMOUS McLean County, IL survivor stories next to an outfit based off the description of what they were wearing to challenge the common myth that a person's choice of clothing invites a sexual assault.
The Clothesline Project
In the summer of 1990, a coalition of women's groups on Cape Cod developed a program that would educate, break the silence and bear witness to violence against individuals.
The concept was simple - let each person tell their story in their own unique way, using words and/or artwork to decorate their shirt. Once finished, they would then hang their shirt on the clothesline. This very action serves many purposes:
- It acts as an educational tool for those who come to view the Clothesline
- It allows those who are still suffering in silence to understand that they are not alone
- It becomes a healing tool for anyone who makes a shirt - by hanging the shirt on the line, survivors, friends and family can literally turn their back on some of that pain of their experience and walk away
The Teal Chair Project
The Teal Chair Project raises awareness about incidents of sexual violence, sexual harassment, stalking, and other forms of interpersonal violence and the impact that not only has on survivors but on their families and the community as a whole.
Teal Chairs remind us that no one has to go through the aftermath of sexual violence alone. The chairs also remind us that sexual violence happens right here in McLean County.
If you are interested in becoming a Teal Chair Partner, please reach out to Bethany Theobald at btheobald@ywcamclean.org.
