Denim Day: What is it? Why do we wear jeans? Is sexual assault really that prevalent?
I was going to wait until Denim Day to post this; but I thought it might be better if I post it beforehand, so more people can understand why it's important to participate.
Good morning and Happy Denim Day! Not that the origin of Denim Day is a happy one, but it's so great that there is a day specifically recognized for sexual assault awareness. I hope everyone who can, is wearing their jeans today in support of victims of sexual assault. Actually, all of April is recognized as the Sexual Assault awareness month.
So what is denim day? Some people may not know. I actually didn't even know about it until I started working for the federal government. The first April I was employed I received an email stating that unless you were working for the Pentagon or White House or anywhere else where jeans would be inappropriate no matter the reason, that jeans were authorized to wear on denim day. Of course my first thought was, "woo hoo, I get to wear jeans to work on a Wednesday!" But, then I wanted to know why I was wearing jeans.
In 1998, an 18-year-old girl was raped by her 45-year-old male driving instructor. He threatened to kill her if she told anyone. Luckily, she was brave enough to tell her parents. They prosecuted and the man was convicted of rape. Until he appealed the case and used the defense that the victims jeans were too tight to have gotten off on his own. The Italian Supreme Course dismissed the case and the rapist was released from custody. The Chief Judge made a statement that the perpetrator argued, "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."
😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳
Seriously. This was a real case. That was the real defense. And it worked!
All over the world, people were infuriated. Women started a protest by wearing jeans to work. To many, this may seem like a small act, but it energized the California Senate and Assembly to participate, among others, and became an international protest against the negative attitudes, stigma, and myths surrounding sexual harrassment, sexual assault, and rape.
The first Denim Day was organized by a nonprofit organization, "Peace Over Violence," in 1999. This day has grown into a national movement and more than 2 million Americans participate in Denim Day every year.
From the Denim Day website:
"Sexual violence is difficult to discuss and often goes unmentioned. But 1 in 5 American women have been raped at some time in their lives--and 1 in 71 American men. Nearly 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men have experienced other forms of sexual violence, including forced penetration, sexual coercion, and unwanted sexual contact. And young people are at the highest risk: it is estimated that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys have had an unwanted or abusive sexual experience in childhood."
(http://denimdaynyc.org/research)
So. That is what Denim Day is and why we wear jeans on Denim Day. It may be only a small act, but it's a small act that sparks discussion on the massive problem of sexual harrassment, sexual assault, and rape.
Next.
Is sexual assault really that prevalent. Aside from the overwhelming statistics quoted above from the official denim day website, I know many people who have been victims of assault, harassment, and rape: including myself. To be honest, I'm not sure I know any female who has never experienced some kind of harrassment or assault. Of course it happens to males often, too; however, it is less reported amongst the male community. It is devastatingly prevalent. I would guess that a significant percentage of your friends/family/coworkers have experienced some kind of harrassment, assault, or rape in their lifetime.
Wear your jeans tomorrow, discuss the reason behind wearing jeans, start the discussion, and attempt to reduce the rape culture that we live in today.
Good morning and Happy Denim Day! Not that the origin of Denim Day is a happy one, but it's so great that there is a day specifically recognized for sexual assault awareness. I hope everyone who can, is wearing their jeans today in support of victims of sexual assault. Actually, all of April is recognized as the Sexual Assault awareness month.
So what is denim day? Some people may not know. I actually didn't even know about it until I started working for the federal government. The first April I was employed I received an email stating that unless you were working for the Pentagon or White House or anywhere else where jeans would be inappropriate no matter the reason, that jeans were authorized to wear on denim day. Of course my first thought was, "woo hoo, I get to wear jeans to work on a Wednesday!" But, then I wanted to know why I was wearing jeans.
In 1998, an 18-year-old girl was raped by her 45-year-old male driving instructor. He threatened to kill her if she told anyone. Luckily, she was brave enough to tell her parents. They prosecuted and the man was convicted of rape. Until he appealed the case and used the defense that the victims jeans were too tight to have gotten off on his own. The Italian Supreme Course dismissed the case and the rapist was released from custody. The Chief Judge made a statement that the perpetrator argued, "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."
😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳
Seriously. This was a real case. That was the real defense. And it worked!
All over the world, people were infuriated. Women started a protest by wearing jeans to work. To many, this may seem like a small act, but it energized the California Senate and Assembly to participate, among others, and became an international protest against the negative attitudes, stigma, and myths surrounding sexual harrassment, sexual assault, and rape.
The first Denim Day was organized by a nonprofit organization, "Peace Over Violence," in 1999. This day has grown into a national movement and more than 2 million Americans participate in Denim Day every year.
From the Denim Day website:
"Sexual violence is difficult to discuss and often goes unmentioned. But 1 in 5 American women have been raped at some time in their lives--and 1 in 71 American men. Nearly 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men have experienced other forms of sexual violence, including forced penetration, sexual coercion, and unwanted sexual contact. And young people are at the highest risk: it is estimated that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys have had an unwanted or abusive sexual experience in childhood."
(http://denimdaynyc.org/research)
So. That is what Denim Day is and why we wear jeans on Denim Day. It may be only a small act, but it's a small act that sparks discussion on the massive problem of sexual harrassment, sexual assault, and rape.
Next.
Is sexual assault really that prevalent. Aside from the overwhelming statistics quoted above from the official denim day website, I know many people who have been victims of assault, harassment, and rape: including myself. To be honest, I'm not sure I know any female who has never experienced some kind of harrassment or assault. Of course it happens to males often, too; however, it is less reported amongst the male community. It is devastatingly prevalent. I would guess that a significant percentage of your friends/family/coworkers have experienced some kind of harrassment, assault, or rape in their lifetime.
Wear your jeans tomorrow, discuss the reason behind wearing jeans, start the discussion, and attempt to reduce the rape culture that we live in today.
Interesting statistics. I only know one woman who has ever been assaulted and I work in a heavily male-oriented industry, and she did not. Still, if it happens to one woman, it’s a horrible thing. Having lived in Italy, the verdict there doesn’t surprise me - women are still second class citizens in that part of the world. I had never heard of Denim Day until now. Thank you.
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