April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

I write on occasion for some of those old-fashioned-type ink-on-paper magazines. One local magazine I really loved writing for was a cute girlie pub called Lipstick. The editors there assigned me the best stories, like a peep into the life at the women’s and children’s homeless shelter.

photo: flickr piX1966

Earlier this year they assigned me a story on the Birmingham Crisis Center for the April issue. April, by the way, is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Rape response is one of the most in-demand programs at the Crisis Center so there was a natural timeliness in the story. Unfortunately, on the day my story was due, I got an e-mail from the managing editor telling me that there would be no April issue – or any other issue, for that matter. The magazine, like so many print pubs these days, was folding. What a shame.

I tried to shop around the story but there was little interest. The local daily, Birmingham News, turned it down because I couldn’t (and wouldn’t) print the names of the support group rape victims I had interviewed. So, in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, I’m going to post the story here. It is geared toward an Alabama audience, but I think the stories, and the message, ring true for anyone who has suffered from rape and the aftermath of having to piece one’s life back together. Do be warned, though, if you do choose to give it a read, that I am not much of an editor – especially of my own work (if you haven’t noticed already) – so there are likely misspellings and grammatical errors. So….bear with me on that. Here it is:

Hope for Wounded Hearts

For more information on Sexual Assault Awareness Month, visit the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

JWJourney