Scarsdale Wears Denim to Raise Awareness About Sexual Violence

Denim Day began in response to a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court in which a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans she must have helped her rapist remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. The victim was an 18-year old girl who had been picked up by her married 45-year old driving instructor for her very first lesson. He took her to an isolated road, pulled her out of the car, wrestled her out of one leg of her jeans and forcefully raped her.

Outraged by the ruling, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work the next day wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim. Peace Over Violence developed the Denim Day campaign 18 years ago because of this case and the activism surrounding it and Denim Day has been held every year since then on a Wednesday in April.

Wearing jeans on Denim Day has become a symbol of protest against erroneous and destructive attitudes about sexual assault.

The Scarsdale Coalition on Family Violence is asking community members, elected officials, businesses and students to make a social statement by wearing jeans on Wednesday, the 26th, as a visible means of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual assault. PLEASE WEAR DENIM AND TAKE A PHOTO and send it to Lauren Pomerantz at [email protected] or to Penny Bauersfeld at [email protected] so that your photo can be posted on the Coalition's Facebook page.

Or, post it on your own Facebook page, and use the hashtags:

#DenimDay
#NoExcuse
#ScarsdaleHeatlhyRelationships
#Scarsdalepride

The Scarsdale Village Board wore denim and signed a proclamation declaring Denim Day in the Village of Scarsdale for April 26th. The board and staff wore denim for the Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday April 25th.

See more photos of Scarsdalians in denim on the Facebook page of the Coalition on Family Violence and Healthy Releationships.