Transitioning Times

April 26 th , 2017 marks the 18 th celebration of Peace Over Violence’s Denim Day .  If you are not already familiar with this event, Denim Day is the annual violence prevention day sponsored by a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, Peace Over Violence.  Over 11 million people across the country participated in 2016.  It is held in April every year as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The Denim Day campaign began after the Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction because the victim was wearing tight jeans at the time of the assault, and the justices believed she must have helped her rapist remove them, thereby implying consent.  The following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim. Peace Over Violence developed the Denim Day campaign in response to this case and the activism surrounding it. Since then, wearing jeans on Denim Day has become a symbol of protest against erroneous and destructive...

Italy, 1992.  A teenage girl is picked up by her 45 year-old driving instructor for her first lesson.  Instead of teaching her how to drive, the instructor rapes her for over an hour and threatens to kill her if she tells.  The brave young woman discloses the assault to her parents and they support her in filing charges against the perpetrator.  He is arrested, charged, and convicted of the crime. However, in 1999, on appeal from the perpetrator, the Italian Supreme Court overturned the conviction "because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them...and by removing the jeans...it was no longer rape but consensual sex."  This truly horrible decision by the Italian Supreme Court inspired a national and international movement called "Denim Day."  Wearing jeans on this day demonstrates a protest against the erroneous and harmful attitudes about sexual assault. This year Denim Day is April 23, 2014.  Show your support t...