History Behind Denim Day

By: Cheyenne Taylor

Women across the world came together after the Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape case in 1992. This case revolved around an 18-year-old girl that was raped by her driving instructor. He was prosecuted and arrested for the crime but appealed his sentence, claiming that they had consensual sex. The Italian supreme court appealed his case, saying that the victim’s jeans were too tight for the rapist to have removed the jeans by himself. So, they argued that she would have had to help her rapist take her pants off, therefore making the act consensual.
 
Angered by this judgment, Italian women protested by wearing denim jeans and sitting on the steps of the Italian Supreme Court building. Images of these courageous women spread, and the news of the case shocked people across the globe. In 1999, the first American Denim Day was held in LA. Since then, each year, people worldwide wear denim to stand in solidarity with victims of sexual assault and speak out about the harmful effects of victim-blaming, which often results in more pain and suffering for sexual assault victims. Our agency encourages everyone who supports survivors of sexual assault to wear denim this year on #DenimDay in honor of all survivors.
 
Help is Available:

1. Call us directly at (317) 731-6140 to speak confidentially with a victim advocate. Our advocates are on the crisis line from 8:30 am to 1 am. If we cannot pick up, please leave a detailed voicemail with your name, a safe contact number or email,  and we will reach back out as soon as possible.
2. Contact us through social media DMs. You can reach us at any site easily accessible to you  including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
3. Email us at info@beaconofhopeindy.org and an advocate will get in touch with you as soon as possible.

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