“The tighter, the better” is the motto at the Survivor Advocacy Program’s Denim Day on Wednesday.
The program is inviting people to decorate their own jeans in support of the statement that there is no excuse for rape, no matter what someone is wearing.
The event was started by Peace Over Violence after an Italian woman’s rape was dismissed because the Italian Supreme Court said the jeans she was wearing were too tight.
Caitlin Snow, president of the Survivor Advocacy Program, said she hopes the event will leave participants feeling empowered and with the understanding that victims are never at fault.
“Victim-blaming has been and will continue to be an issue, but with people speaking out against it, I think that we can make progress in removing it from our society,” Snow said.
Brenda Strickland, the coordinator for the Survivor Advocacy Program, said victims of sexual assault can feel frustrated and as if no one believes them, and wearing jeans on Denim Day has become a protest to the destructive attitudes toward sexual assault.
“(SAP) would like Denim Day to promote awareness that as individuals we need to say no to a rape culture,” Strickland said. “We need to say no to the jokes about sexual assault and rape.”
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