April 30, 2020

by Robyn Guzik, Community Engagement Specialist

You see, wearing denim on Denim Day is actually an act of protest. It’s a protest against harmful attitudes about sexual violence. In fact, Denim Day started as a global response to a 1999 Italian Supreme Court decision to overturn a rape conviction because the survivor was wearing tight jeans. The Court overturned the conviction because, since the survivor was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped remove them, therefore the act was considered consensual - not rape. 

Soon after, advocates around the nation and world wore denim to protest this court ruling and the toxic beliefs, culture and myths about sexual violence. Denim Day is now observed annually in April.

Here at MCRCC, we take weeks to plan our collaboration with local agencies and partners to take part in Denim Day. When a local agency makes the pledge to participate in Denim Day and/or Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), we provide them with flyers and infographics. We also provide the pledging agency with teal ribbons and, if available, denim bracelets or denim ribbons. 

With the shelter-in-place order that we have been under, we felt that it was safer for staff and the community to not be traveling up and down the county to deliver ribbons and flyers. This is why we promoted Denim Day and SAAM solely via our social media outlets. 

We hope you saw our efforts in painting the county teal and that you enjoyed seeing our Denim Day posts!