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ESCC Campus

Wild Iris' Denim Day

April 1, 2010

We are asking all employees of our local non-profit organizations, civic governments and other employers to help us recognize April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. As part of that effort we are asking people to break the dress code and the silence on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 and wear denim to work. We will be visiting your office soon with our poster, buttons, and ribbons for each person to wear to help us in this cause.

Denim Day is sponsored by Wild Iris and the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) to enlist public support to dispel harmful attitudes about rape. The Denim Day campaign began in 1999 with CALCASA and Peace Over Violence, (formerly known as the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women), as part of an international protest of an Italian Supreme Court decision to overturn a rape conviction because the victim was wearing jeans. The Italian Supreme Court dismissed charges against a 45-year old rape suspect because his 18-year-old victim was wearing jeans at the time of the attack. The Court stated in its decision that "It is common knowledge…that jeans cannot even be partly removed without the effective help of the person wearing them…and it is impossible if the victim is struggling with all her might." The judgment sparked a worldwide outcry from those who understand coercion, threats and violence go along with the act of rape. The unpopular verdict became an international symbol of myth-based injustice for sexual assault victims.

Denim Day is just an outward example of how a community can help change people's perceptions about violence against women, men and children. Please support us as we continue in our fight to prevent interpersonal violence by challenging harmful attitudes, providing self-defense and safety training, teaching violence prevention in the schools and the community-at-large and encouraging schools and other agencies to join us in these efforts.

Again we will be coming to your offices to leave our posters, buttons, and ribbons and we salute all of you willing to join us in the fight for a safer community for all people. 

Sincerely,
Wild Iris