By Annika Wickham
SUNY Oswego hosted a Denim Day event on April 25 to spread awareness about sexual assault, victim blaming and the stigmas that can surround abuse.
“I think it is important to change our attitudes and how we treat victims and survivors when they come forward,” Danielle Gillett, who led the presentation, said. “[It is important] to know why you are wearing denim and and to be able to articulate that to people that is to prevent sexual assault, to raise awareness and victim blaming.”
The first Denim Day event was held in Los Angeles in 1999 in response to a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court against a rape victim, according to the Denim Day website. In Italy in 1992, an 18-year-old girl was raped by her driving instructor, who was prosecuted and convicted. The instructor appealed his case and the Italian Supreme Court overturned the ruling, saying that the victim was wearing tight jeans and would have had to help take them off, meaning she consented.
The women in the Italian Parliament protested the verdict by wearing jeans on the steps of the Supreme Court and their movement picked up internationally. The protest was recognized by Peace Over Violence in Los Angeles and has been an annual event ever since.
Denim Day now serves as an opportunity to provide education and resources about sexual assault by making a “fashion statment,” the Denim Day website said.
The presentation, which was held in Marano Campus Center, was hosted by Services to Aid Families (SAF) and included videos, statistics and discussions about sexual assault prevention. Signs of an alcohol blackout and bystander intervention were also covered.
Gillett, who is the SUNY Oswego campus advocate for SAF, said spreading awareness of Denim Day is crucial to help survivors know they are not alone.
“I think it is important because the court case that inspired the day is something that we still see a lot, it is not unfamiliar to advocates for survivors,” Gillett said. “The questions people get asked, the reasons they were assaulted are not taken seriously … [Women] talk about how they were intoxicated, they were in relationship with the person, all these reasons they did not think they wouldn’t be believed or taken seriously even though they still didn’t consent.”
This year, Denim Day was April 27 but the on-campus presentation was held early due to conflicts with Yards for Yeardley, an annual SUNY Oswego event used to raise awareness for domestic and dating violence.
SAF has previously collaborated with clubs and organizations on campus to wear denim and take pictures as a way to bring awareness to the holiday and is looking to collaborate with more student organizations in the future, according to Gillett.
Gillett also said that SAF hosts and participates in other events on campus, mainly during April for Sexual Assault Awareness Month and in October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. They also post regularly on social media with updates for other projects and collaborations.
SAF offers many services to both the campus and Oswego community, including helping with transitional housing for victims and survivors, assisting people with orders of protection, providing housing in a confidential shelter and with their crisis hotline.
The hotline can be used by anyone at any time, according to Gillett, and you do not need to be in crisis to call. Other examples Gillett gave for using the hotline is if you think someone you know was assaulted, if you need advice about ending a relationship safely or if you just need someone to talk to.
Along with the hotline, Gillett also holds office hours on campus from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Culkin 405 for the remainder of the semester. She encouraged students to stop by her office simply to say hi or to report any incidents of abuse. SAF does not work directly with Title IX and is another option for survivor resources on campus.
For more information about Denim Day and other events, follow SAF on Instagram @services_to_aid_families or Facebook at OCO SAF.
24/7 anonymous crisis hotline: 315-342-1600
Image via ItsOnOz Instagram
