Denim Day a show of solidarity during Sexual Assault Awareness Month

There has been much news lately about sexual assault and its impact on victims and survivors. The most notable is the #Metoo movement. 

The designation of April being Sexual Assault Awareness Month was first observed on April 1, 2001 (for more information on the timeline see (www.nsvrc.org/saam/history). Since then events are annually held to raise awareness and educate the community on ways in which we each can be an ally in ending and preventing sexual violence. 

This year A New Hope Center is participating in “Denim Day” on Wednesday, April 25. 

Denim Day came to be when the Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction 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. 

Peace Over Violence developed the Denim Day campaign (denimdayinfo.org) in response to this case and the activism surrounding it. Since then, wearing jeans on Denim Day has become a symbol of protest against erroneous and destructive attitudes about sexual assault. 

In this rape prevention education campaign they ask community members, elected officials, businesses and students to make a social statement with their fashion by wearing jeans on this day as a visible means of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual assault. 

This year’s Denim Day will focus on educating the community at large on the definition of consent. Sexual Consent is defined as something that is clearly given, is not coerced, is active, can be withdrawn at any time, is the responsibility of the person initiating, cannot be given when a person is incapacitated. 

To participate all you need to do is wear jeans to work, and when someone asks you why, educate them by sharing the above story. 

A New Hope Center can supply individuals and businesses with a ‘sticker’ to wear that states “Sexual Assault Awareness Month Denim Day 2018 – My Jeans Protest Violence” as another way to encourage the dialogue. 

Another option for participation is for employees and employers everywhere to charge staff $5 each to wear their denim for the day. The proceeds can be given to a local Rape Crisis Center for their continued work to ending sexual violence in our community. 

In Tioga County the local rape crisis center is A New Hope Center and in Broome County it is CVAC. 

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Francis Bialy or Sarah DiNunzio at (607) 687-6887, or you can email your questions to info@anewhopecenter.org.