With an extensive list of work in sexual assault advocacy and campus climate reform, Georgia Savage is an activist to be reckoned with. From serving as the Chair of the Campus Climate Response Team to being elected as one of 12 ASUCD senators, her list of accomplishments goes on and on. It’s no surprise that everyone who meets Georgia takes her, and her work, seriously, but don’t let her professionalism fool you; she is also affable, fun, and the epitome of cool.
Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault
In line with her elected platform of increasing sexual assault awareness, Georgia will be coordinating “Let’s Talk About Sex” (LTAS) for the month of April. LTAS will incorporate over 20 student organizations and departments to host over 40 events throughout the course of April, all focused on promoting healthy sexuality by discussing consent, sexual health, how sex is discussed in specific cultures and communities, and ultimately breaking the stigma of sex being a taboo topic in our society. While some of the events include bystander training and destigmatization workshops, others incorporate art with art spaces and poetry. Throughout the course of the month resource packages with campus information and free swag will be available for event attendees.
We sat down with Georgia to talk about LTAS and her work as a sexual assault activist.
Her Campus (HC): Hi Georgia! We’re so excited to hear about all the great work you’ve done. Can you tell us a little bit about LTAS?
Georgia Savage (GS): Of course! “Let’s Talk About Sex” is a campaign for the duration of the month of April, in which the Students Against Sexual Violence at UCD, Associated Students of the University of California, Davis Senate, Sexual Assault Awareness Advocacy Committee, Gender and Sexuality Commission, as well as a multitude of other groups and organizations are hosting events to start a conversation about sex in all aspects. This includes a myriad of events that attempt to include all students of our UC Davis community by providing spaces of education and empowerment.
HC: That sounds awesome. What work have you done prior to this in regards to sexual assault awareness?
GS: My involvement in sexual violence and assault prevention started my sophomore year of college. I originally began by representing UC Davis in the University of California Office of the President Sexual Violence and Assault Work Group, comprised of both faculty and students. This group provided student insight and suggestions regarding the implementation of the new 2016 system-wide investigation procedures for responding to sexual violence. I was also appointed chair of the UC Davis Student Campus Climate Review Team for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, which includes 21 representatives from all aspects of campus life who are attempting to educate the student body and provide more, and improved, resources for survivors at UC Davis. With this group, I effectively organized a six week sexual assault prevention campaign called the “RedZone” eliciting written responses from 250 students, leading the national “It’s On Us” campaign and collaborating to host a screening of The Hunting Ground with an attendance of over 300 individuals. As mentioned, I was also elected as an ASUCD senator this fall quarter, on the platform of sexual assault prevention and through this capacity I am coordinating this “Let’s Talk About Sex” campaign, with an event planned every week day of April. Additionally, I have served as an actress in the Women’s Resource and Research Center’s production of Vagina: Our Stories, based off the Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler, for two years. Through this, I was able to contribute to the education of a multitude of issues, including gendered violence, the harms of a gender binaries, and issues women and marginalized genders endure here at UC Davis. I was also a Student Advocate to the Regents (STAR), in which I was chosen by the UC Student Association to attend Board of Regents meetings and speak on issues regarding sexual assault prevention. In addition, I served as the Secretary of the Supporting Survivors with Four-Legged Friends Club at UC Davis last quarter, which works to connect survivors of sexual violence and assault with animals in order to facilitate and encourage both trust and healing.
HC: These events for LTAS all sound so amazing. Is there one in particular that you’re really looking forward to?
GS: Thank you so much! I’m sure my team will be very happy to hear that. I am looking forward to a multitude of events, but in particular our resource fair, the screening of “The Hunting Ground,” the SickSpits poetry event, Denim Day and our art exhibition. There are so many platforms and different mediums for individuals to express themselves and I am so excited to see the impact these events have on the students leading and attending the events.
HC: Thank you so much for sitting down with us! We can’t wait to attend all the great events hosted by LTAS.
Confidential Advice and Counseling Services
(866) 515-0155
Report a Sexual Assault or Related Crime
Title IX Officer: Wendi Delmendo
(530) 752-9466
If you or someone you know has just been sexually assault, follow the steps below:
1. Get to a safe place
2. Contact someone who can help you
3. Do not shower, drink or eat, douche, or change your clothes
4. Get medical attention
5. Write everything down
For more information on Let’s Talk About Sex, like the Facebook page here.