25 YEARS OF IMPACT

Dear Denim Day Community,

It was 1999 when a news story out of Italy caught my eye on CNN—female Parliamentarians in Italy were wearing jeans to protest the Supreme Court Justice’s overturning a lower court’s rape conviction. The reason? The 18 year-old victim was wearing tight jeans that could allegedly only be removed with her help, therefore implying consent. The Roman Parliamentarians were furious; they called it “the jeans alibi.” In response, California lawmakers took action and wore jeans on the steps of the CA State Capitol in Sacramento in solidarity with the survivor and the Italian legislators’ protest. This is what inspired our staff to organize the first Denim Day in Los Angeles.

Denim Day 1999 was a small rally in a downtown Los Angeles park. We invited people to show up wearing jeans to protest the myths that the clothing you wear invites rape and sexual assault, one of the many misconceptions and lies told about women and girls and used as an excuse to blame them. This was in April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and on a Wednesday specifically - so that people would wear jeans to work as a dress down day during the middle of the week. In those days there were dress codes! For us, wearing jeans on purpose on Denim Day was making a social statement with our fashion statement. At that time, we couldn’t imagine it would grow into the longest-running sexual violence prevention education campaign in history with impacts across the globe.

We started with the message and tagline: There is No Excuse And Never An Invitation to Rape, inspired by Charles Hall’s This is Not An Invitation To Rape Me campaign. This message has remained a constant in our campaign and it is still relevant and necessary to our work.

Over the last 25+ years, Denim Day has reached over one hundred million individuals. People in all 50 states and in over 100 countries have worn jeans on purpose to spread awareness about sexual violence. Colleges and universities, corporations and businesses, communities and groups, entire cities and states have declared Denim Day.

This campaign seeks to empower victim/survivors, galvanize allies, influence legislation, educate the jury pool, motivate high school and college students, and give voice to those who had been silenced. Our goal has been to encourage people to wear jeans with purpose, support survivors, educate yourself and others, and challenge rape culture and misogynistic victim blaming.

Changes have been made over the last 25 years. All of us together have influenced the rise of legal reform and legislative action to increase services and protection for survivors. We have exposed rape kit backlogs and cleared or reduced backlogs all over the country. Modern technology has helped survivors share their stories, seek services, and report crimes if they choose. Denim Day has created space for more conversations about sexual violence. We have seen the rise of #metoo, particularly the call for accountability in the entertainment and sports industries. Because of movements and campaigns like Denim Day, survivors like E. Jean Carroll and Gisèle Pelicot have been able to share their stories publicly. We experience more and more youth having conversations about building healthy relationships, setting boundaries, and prioritizing consent.

Increased awareness has exposed the depth and breadth of sexual violence in our country and around the world. Rape is acknowledged as a weapon of war. Rape and intimate partner violence can impact everyone in every community. With better data, we now know communities of color, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, immigrants, and incarcerated persons are disproportionately impacted and vulnerable. Unfortunately, our work is not done.

Because of you, Denim Day has continued impact. The campaign has grown with you and you have grown the campaign—together we have questioned, confronted, and changed the culture. We have shifted the way people think about sexual violence and challenged behaviors that contribute to rape culture. We have educated, advocated, and spread awareness about all forms of violence—and work every day to prevent violence happening in the first place.

Sexual and domestic violence are endemic in our world. The trauma from these issues is foundational and a root cause to so many social harms—like homelessness, gun violence, mass shootings, mental illness, substance abuse, and more. To truly end sexual violence, we must connect the dots with other violences and social harms and recognize the urgency of this intersectionality. Denim Day is an opportunity include ALL survivors, their families and communities, and support the growing efforts for equity, justice, and a safer world.

This year our overarching theme for the campaign is: Use Your Voice. Now more than ever, we encourage survivors and allies to use the most powerful thing in your arsenal: your voice. Share your story, dispel myths and dismantle rape culture, make space for survivors to share their experiences, and advocate for the power of truth over shame. Let’s continue to bring these issues out of the shadows—these stories of trauma and healing and resiliency deserve to be heard, and we are hear to listen, advocate, and change the culture together.

Patricia Giggans
Denim Day Founder & Executive Director of Peace Over Violence

If you are in need of help, the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) hotline can direct you to a live crisis counselor, (1-800-656-4673).

For local resources in Los Angeles, CA, contact our LA Rape & Battering Hotline at Central Los Angeles, 213-626-3393; South Los Angeles, 310-392-8381; West San Gabriel Valley, 626-793-3385.