Sexual Assault Awareness Week 2024
September 19th - 25th
Sexual Assault Awareness Week 2024 is all about coming together to build more compassionate communities of care for survivors of sexual violence. This year's theme, "Love Letters to Survivors," is a call to action for us to reflect on how we support and uplift those who have experienced sexual violence. It’s about more than just raising awareness; it’s about creating tangible, meaningful shifts in our communities by fostering environments where survivors feel heard, supported, and valued.
​
This week, we're focusing on the power of collective care, solidarity, radical acceptance, and reclaiming autonomy. We’re recognizing that healing isn’t something that happens in isolation—it happens when we, as a community, stand together, listen to survivors, and actively work to dismantle the systems that perpetuate violence.
​
Through Take Back the Night, workshops, and discussions, we aim to write our own “love letters” to survivors—letters that say, “We see you, we believe you, and we’re here to support you.” Whether it’s through the workshops we offer, the conversations we start, or the spaces we create, every action we take this week is a step towards building the community of care that survivors deserve.
Schedule of Events
Take Back the Night
Thursday, September 19th, 7pm - 9pm
Take Back the Night is a powerful and historic event organized by the PEI Rape and Sexual Assault Centre to raise awareness and demand an end to sexual violence in all its forms. This annual event has been a cornerstone for the global feminist movement, providing a safer space for survivors and allies to come together, gain support from community, and remind ourselves that we're not alone in our healing journeys.
​
This year's theme, "Love Letters to Survivors," is a heartfelt tribute to the resilience, courage, and strength of those who have experienced sexual violence. Through words of love, support, and solidarity, we honour survivors and reaffirm our collective commitment to ending sexual violence in our communities.
​
To close the evening, PEI's Queer Choir will be doing an original piece, celebrating the strength and unity of our community. Their voices will uplift and inspire, reinforcing the message that love and support are vital in the fight against sexual violence.
​
Join us for a night of reflection, empowerment, and unwavering support for survivors. Together, we will take back the night and continue to move toward a world free from violence.
BDSM Date Night: Prioritizing Safety to Ensure Play (19+)
Friday, September 20
7 pm - 9 pm
Humans are messy creatures, and dating/relationships can be as messy as it gets. BDSM offers ways of making things less messy, by offering us ways of relating to others that feel safe & known. To put it plainly, there's a lot less guessing when it comes to dating in BDSM. Less guessing equals more understanding, which in turn means more safety and more play. And let's face it, being a human is hard, and we could all use more play in our lives.
This workshop will focus on how we make sure there's less guessing in BDSM through utilizing the BDSM basics. Such as negotiation, consent, and aftercare to name a few.
We will also talk about the importance of knowing our likes, our limits, and ourselves because if we don't know who we are we can't prioritize our safety, and we can't ensure our play.
Ladies Who Lunch
Saturday, September 21st
Private Dining Room, Merchantman Pub
12 pm - 2 pm
Partnered with PEERS Alliance, this event is designed to be a low barrier gathering space for trans women and femmes. The event is limited to 10 attendees, and food will be provided!
For far too long, trans women have been excluded from mainstream gender-based violence (GBV) discourse and services. This invisibility has led to a significant gap in advocacy and support specifically tailored to the unique experiences of trans women. By intentionally including trans women in this event, traditionally designed to exclude them, we aim to build bridges and foster a more inclusive movement for survivors of all genders. This event is a crucial step towards dismantling the systemic erasure of trans women and ensuring that their voices and needs are centered in the fight against GBV.
Radical Intimacy In A Capitalist Hellscape
Saturday, September 21st
Location TBA
6 pm - 8 pm
The creation of an intentional kink practice can be understood as an act of rebellion. A rejection of the colonial capitalist system that we live in, and a rewrite of the normative scripts we've been taught. This rejection gives us the ability to reclaim our body from the machinery, to reclaim our agency. To say, "This is my body and I will decide the meaning behind the pain and pleasure it receives". In this reclamation we destroy the masters' tools, and forge our own.
This workshop will explore how an intentional kink practice can be used as a liberatory model. How the transgressive acts that we engage in, such as pain and degradation, act as tools for our liberation, uncovering the edge of our limits and renewing our curiosity. And ultimately, how an intentional kink practice increases our capacity for power building in our lives.
How will you extend your power into the world?
How will you honor the sacredness of your body?
​
​
Edward Sucks:
A Twilight Film Screening
Sunday, September 22nd
City Cinema - 7 pm
Alice Cullen voice “It’s time!”
About three things we are absolutely positive about: First, Edward is a vampire. Second, the 2008 hit movie “Twilight” and popular sequels to come would bring misogynistic narratives into the pop culture mainstream for teen movie go-er’s by romanticizing unhealthy relationship dynamics, especially in the ways Edward acts toward Bella.
Third, the best way to discuss this during Sexual Assault Awareness Week is with an interactive screening of Twilight at City Cinema! Themed like a “Rocky Horror Picture Show” screening, this event will be reaction-based with all rules and supplies provided day-of.
Whether you’re shining your phone flashlight at the screen when you notice gaslighting, or humming the melody of “Eyes on Fire” when the movie shows signs of stalking, this aims to be a lighthearted event to end your weekend!
P.S.: You won’t need to name the phases of mitosis to win a Golden Onion at this event, but if you wear the most original COSTUME you may find yourself taking home that prize! Tickets are $10 and available now at the link in our bio or on City Cinema’s website - please contact us if cost is a barrier.
​
​
Empowering Responses to Sexual Violence Disclosures: A Feminist Approach for Supporters
Monday, September 23rd
12 pm - 1 pm via Zoom
Join us for a crucial hour-long online workshop designed to empower individuals with feminist, survivor-centred strategies for responding to disclosures of sexual violence. Led by trauma-informed clinicians with deep expertise in feminist practices, this workshop will provide participants with the tools and insights needed to support survivors effectively and respectfully.
Workshop Highlights:
-
Understanding the feminist framework for a trauma-informed response to sexual violence.
-
Practical skills for communicating in ways that validate and affirm survivors’ experiences.
-
Strategies for maintaining confidentiality and empowering survivors to make their own informed decisions.
-
Resources and guidance on advocating for survivors within various support systems.
This session is ideal for anyone committed to supporting survivors through a feminist lens, including allies, advocates, community members, and professionals seeking to enhance their understanding and effectiveness in dealing with sensitive disclosures.
​
​
Queering Consent :
Workshop & Focus Group
Tuesday, September 24th
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
The Guild
Join us for "Queering Consent," an engaging workshop/focus group hybrid designed to delve into the complexities of consent within the queer community. This event offers a unique opportunity to explore consent in diverse contexts, including cruising, kink play, PNP (party and play), dating apps, and anonymous hookups.
You'll learn fundamental ways to respect boundaries and navigate various scenarios with confidence. The second part of the event features a collaborative focus group, where we brainstorm and share strategies to ensure positive and respectful interactions.
Limited to just 20 participants, each attendee will receive a $50 honorarium. Don't miss your chance to be part of this important event!
​
Contact Scott Alan, scott@peersalliance.ca to register.
​
​
Building Creative Care Practices: Collage Workshop for Survivors
Wednesday, September 25th
6 pm - 8 pm
PEIRSAC Office
The foundation of this survivor-led workshop is built on connection, compassion, and creativity. It fosters empowerment and healing through creative expression, allowing participants the space to connect with their own unique expression. This creates another avenue for survivors to work through their experiences and tell their stories with an accessible visual medium, without necessarily having to use words. Some of the greatest healing comes from the process of expression, particularly in the layering of materials and images. Creating personal pieces in collective spaces also brings additional healing to those present.
Hosted by Justine Lorch (she/they) and Julie Bull (they/them).
