International Denim Day: Because Clothing Is NO Excuse!

In Italy in the 1990s, an 18-year-old was raped by her 45-year-old driving instructor. The assailant was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to jail. He appealed the sentence, and the case made its way to the Italian Supreme Court. The Supreme Court released the perpetrator and dismissed all charges, on the grounds that “because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them... and by removing the jeans... it was no longer rape but consensual sex.” 

Women in the Italian Parliament wore jeans in protest, and the California Senate and Assembly did the same. Denim Day was born.

Source:  http://www.stsm.org/events/denim-day

Denim Day is a campaign to prevent sexual violence through education and public awareness.  April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and Denim Day is a call to action for all people to come together by wearing denim as a visible sign of protest against sexual violence. By participating in Denim Day this April, you can play a role in the prevention of sexual violence. Every year we ask community members, elected officials, businesses and students to make a social statement with their fashion and on April 29th to wear jeans as a visible means of protest against misconceptions that surround sexual assault.

Why denim? Denim Day was originally triggered by a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans she must have helped her rapist remove her jeans, thereby implying consent.  The following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim. Denim Day was developed in response to this case and wearing jeans during this annual event has become a symbol of protest against erroneous and destructive attitudes about sexual assault.

Women of the Italian Legislature protested the decision by wearing jeans to work. As news of the decision spread, so did the protest. In April 1999, a social service agency in Los Angeles established the first Denim Day in the United States.

DVSAC carries on this tradition.  We wear denim to dispel harmful myths about sexual violence and survivors.

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Source:  http://www.dvsac.org/denim-day/

On April 29, 2015 show your support by wearing your jeans!  Get your employer and co-workers involved in this event!