Wednesday April 29th Is #denimday; Stand-Up For Sexual Assault Victims

We were lucky enough to have Madeline and Christine from the Women's and Children's Alliance stop out to see us during Live for 175 last week.  They told us about #denimday, a day to stand up for sexual assault victims.

When I heard the story behind Denim Day, I felt like I got kicked in the stomach because it was so disgusting.  It's the story of an 18-year-old Italian girl who was excited to go on her very first driving lesson with a 45-year-old male instructor.  Instead of teaching her the importance of signaling when changing lanes or how to merge, he took her to an isolated area and raped her.  He threatened to kill her if she told anyone.  She worked up the courage to tell her parents and law enforcement.  He was arrested, convicted and sent to jail.

But he appealed the sentence and that appeal made it all the way to the Italian Supreme Court.  This is where the story gets even sicker and more appalling.  The Chief Justice overturned the suspect's conviction saying that the jeans the girl was wearing the day of the incident were very tight.  He alleged that she would've had to help him remove them so the sex was consensual.  The driving instructor was allowed to walk free.

The very next day, all the women in the Italian Parliament wore jeans to work to protest the ruling and support the young girl.  The first Denim Day was born.

Since 1999, Denim day has been celebrated during Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month in April.  It's a day to stand up, wear your denim as a protest against destructive attitudes about sexual assault.  That means being aware of the dangers of victim blaming and shaming.

So wear your denim loud and proud on Wednesday, April 29th! For more information visit the WCA online at wcaboise.org.