April is sexual assault awareness month, and Denim Day, April 24th, is an international campaign to raise awareness and support survivors of sexual assault. Each year Lassen Family Services asks community members, elected officials, businesses and students to take a stand, by wearing denim as a visible means of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual violence.”
Why denim? In Italy in the 1990’s, a young woman was raped by her driving instructor. The assailant was convicted and sentenced to jail, but on appeal the Italian Supreme Court dismissed all charges on the grounds 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.”
Women of the Italian Legislature protested the decision by wearing jeans to work. As news of the decision spread, so did the protest. In April 1999, a social service agency in Los Angeles established the first Denim Day in the United States.
How you can help take a stand
This year the Denim Day walk will start at 2:00p.m. at the LFS office at 1306 Riverside Drive, travel down Main Street to Joe’s Coffee for a short break and then back to the LFS office.
You can show your support online by posting a picture of you wearing your denim to Facebook with the hastag #LFSDenimday2024. All online participants will be entered into a raffle.
For additional information about Denim Day or ways to help promote awareness about sexual assault, please contact call LFS at 1.530.257.4599.
