By Ashley Wilson
Join us today, Wednesday April 28, at noon, by wearing jeans on purpose, with purpose.
We will meet at the bell tower at the corner of Hwy 160 and Lewis street to walk around Main Street. Rain, snow or shine, we will walk to support survivors to have an outward display of solidarity.
A year ago, the Denim Day walk was cancelled because of everything going on in our country and community – this year the need for this show of support is more paramount than before. When the stay at home orders came, it trapped victims with their assailants. In a time when people were supposed to find refuge and safety at home; victims were left without a life line to help and monitored even more than before.
Domestic violence and sexual assault numbers went up around the world, including in Pagosa.
This year marks the 22nd annual Denim Day campaign. This campaign signifies community standing in solidarity with victims and survivors. As we gather to walk around main street in a simple but profound showing of support; we show victims that we support them and will be there voice. This public display is also the beginning of ending sexual violence. It sounds too simple, but if there is enough people in our community that extend outward pressure against the culture of silence that keeps perpetrators safe, then we begin to shift something.
Awareness plus action equals social change.
With a statistics like 1 in 5 women will be raped in their lifetime and that an American is sexually assaulted every 73 seconds, it would stand to reason that most of us know someone who has had this experience.
Who will you wear jeans for this year? Will you wear jeans to support survivors, for a friend, for yourself, for all the women who are silent, for all the child victims?
Denim Day has a history the campaign was originally triggered by a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where 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 following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim. The Denim Day campaign was developed by Peace Over Violence 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 attitudes about sexual assault.
In this rape prevention education campaign, we ask community members, elected officials, businesses and students to make a social statement with their fashion by wearing jeans on this day as a visible means of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual assault.”
Rise Above Violence is a non-profit 501c3 organization, serving victims and survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and other violent crimes in Archuleta County. For 24/7 crisis support please call 970-264-9075 to talk with an advocate. If you or someone you know needs help dealing with violence please call.
Ashley Wilson is Development Coordinator with Rise Above Violence.