Why Denim Day is So Important
Skip to Content
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County

Why Denim Day is So Important

Main Content

April is Sexual Assault Awareness month. According to the Rape Abuse Incest National Network (RAINN) 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape. The statistics are startling. But even more startling is the responses that victims of sexual assault receive when disclosing.

Sexual abuse crosses all classes, ages, genders, races, ethnicities, abilities and sexual orientations. It does not play favorites. There is no profile of what a perpetrator looks like. The idea of "stranger danger" is misleading. Stranger rape is very rare: 44% of victims are under the age of 18 and two-thirds of sexual assaults are by someone known to the victim.

Denim Day is a day to show your support for survivors and to eliminate victim blaming. We celebrate Denim Day on April 29, 2015 in honor of a woman who was forcibly raped by her driving instructor. The woman pressed charges, but the case was dismissed because the chief judge decided that, “…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.”

Victim blaming, whether intentional or unintentional is a problem in our community and communities across the country. It is never okay to assault someone on the basis of what they were wearing, what they were drinking, what neighborhood they were in or who they were with.

Being a survivor I have encountered difficult victim blaming statements from friends, neighbors, family and the community. Every day I see victim blaming statements online, on television and in the news. When I first heard about Denim Day, I immediately thought how important it was to use Denim Day as a catalyst for creating change around this topic. Denim Day is a safe, gender neutral, very easy thing to do to support survivors.

Survivor after survivor has told me that on Denim Day they feel heard, even if they have never told anyone before. Sexual Assault is a very silent issue, a very under reported issue and a very difficult issue to talk about. By supporting survivors you give them a voice.

Please join me and the countless other supporters of Denim Day and wear jeans on April 29. Like us on Facebook or go to denimdaymke.org to pledge your support and get ideas on how you can get involved.

Wrap your arms around this issue and make a statement. Wear jeans on Denim Day and tell people why.