#DenimDay Is Important Because Your Body Is Important

#DenimDay. Some of you are asking what this might be. Denim day is a day where it is dedicated to sexual assault awareness. It started in Italy when women wore denim jeans to show solidarity to a victim of sexual assault. Some history for you about this day is that it grew out of a 1998 Italian Supreme Court decision that overturned a rape conviction because the victim wore tight jeans. AN 18-year old girl is picked up by her married 45-year old driving instructor for her very first lesson. He takes her to an isolated road, pulls her out of the car, wrestles her out of one leg of her jeans and forcefully rapes her. Threatened with death if she tells anyone, he makes her drive the car home. Later that night she tells her parents, and they help and support her to press charges. The perpetrator gets arrested and is prosecuted. He is convicted of rape and sentenced to jail.

1999, Denim Day in Los Angeles

A statement from the Court argued that because the victim wore very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans it was no longer rape but consensual sex. This became known throughout Italy as the "jeans alibi." Enraged by the verdict, the women in the Italian Parliament protested by wearing jeans on the steps of the Supreme Court. This protest was picked up by international media and eventually spread to LA. Inspired, Patti Occhiuzzo Giggans, Executive Director of Peace Over Violence, though everyone should be wearing jeans to protest all of the myths about why women are raped.

Sexual assault is never OK and if you try to justify that is it, we can get into an argument about it all day. Just because of what someone is wearing does NOT give you the right to sexually assault them. Try and argue with me, I dare you. Rape culture awareness has grown so much especially with the social media that is going on in today's world. Hashtags such as #YessAllWomen, #WhatWereYouWearing, and #DenimDay makes it more aware.

Help someone, if you know them there are hotlines because people are scared to speak up and some people it can cause PTSD and even in some cases, some commit suicide. Help them bring awareness to this and know they are not alone.

Assaulted Women's Helpline at 1-866-863-0511

Suicide Hotline 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)

Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-827-7571

National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-4673