Becca Maguire- Outreach Specialist
April is a very busy month for us here at the WCA. Not only is it Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month but we also have Denim Day on April 28th. What is Denim Day? Denim Day is a day-long awareness campaign that allows us to honor survivors of sexual assault and start conversations about the dangers of victim-blaming.
If you haven’t heard the story of Denim Day, you might find it a little odd that we are talking about wearing denim. I mean, we wear denim all the time. What is so special about this day? Well in 1992 an 18-year-old Italian girl was sexually assaulted by her 45-year-old male driving instructor. While he was initially convicted of the crime and sent to prison, the ruling was later overturned by the Italian Supreme Court because the justices felt that because the victim wore tight jeans, she must have helped remove them thereby making the act consensual. The following day the women of the Italian Legislature protested this decision by wearing jeans to work. As news of the decision spread, so did the protests. In 1999, an agency in Los Angeles, CA established the first Denim Day in the US—a tradition that has grown and continued since.
Please wear your denim on April 28th. Show your support for survivors of sexual assault, start conversations about consent and make a statement against victim-blaming. Sexual assault is NEVER your fault.
Unable to wear denim at work? Order denim ribbons or “ask me about denim day” stickers here!
