Denim Day is an international sexual assault awareness campaign that began in Italy more than 20 years ago.
The inspiration came from the 1992 case of a young girl who was raped by the driving instructor of a behind-the-wheel class. The perpetrator was arrested, tried and convicted, but he appealed his case and the Supreme Court overturned his conviction. The Chief Judge reasoned 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.”
This ruling outraged women in the Italian Parliament, who all came to work the following day wearing jeans to show their solidarity with the victim. The protest spread and the first Denim Day was born, and it is now observed in the United States as a way to raise awareness about sexual violence and correct the misconceptions that surround it. There is never an excuse for rape, and sexual assault is never acceptable.
Want to host Denim Day?
On Wed., April 29, Safe Harbor invites you to bring Denim Day to your own workplace! In exchange for a small donation to Safe Harbor, we ask you and your coworkers to wear jeans to work to bring awareness to sexual assault, and share with others why it’s important to support survivors. If you’d like to host Denim Day at your workplace, please contact Jordan Pye (jordan@safeharborshelter.com) for more information, and scroll down for resources to help you collect donations to fund the free services Safe Harbor provides to survivors of sexual assault. On this day, let’s join together and make a statement!
- Click here to view the flyer for Denim Day 4.29.15
- Keep track of gifts to Safe Harbor with this Denim Day Donation Log
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