Join millions of people across the world who will wear jeans with a purpose, support survivors, and educate themselves and others about all forms of sexual violence. 

Ways you can participate: 

• Wear denim, and share on social media - tag @ raperecoverycenter

• Support healing services and violence prevention programming by donating 

• Challenge rape myths

History of Denim Day:

The Denim Day story begins in Italy in 1992 when an 18-year-old girl was raped by the 45-year-old driving instructor who was taking her to her very first driving lesson. He took her to an isolated road, pulled her out of the car, removed her jeans, and forcefully raped her.

She reports the rape, and the perpetrator is arrested and prosecuted. He is then convicted of rape and sentenced to jail. Years later, he appealed the conviction, claiming that they had consensual sex. The Italian Supreme Court overturned the sentence, and the perpetrator was released. A statement from the Court argued that because the victim was wearing very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans, it was not rape but consensual sex. This became known throughout Italy as the “jeans alibi.”

Enraged by the verdict, the women in the Italian Parliament launched a protest wearing jeans on the steps of the Supreme Court. International media picked up this protest, which inspired the California Senate and Assembly to do the same on the steps of the Capitol in Sacramento. Patti Occhiuzzo Giggans, Executive Director of Peace Over Violence, saw this in the media and thought everyone should be wearing jeans to protest all of the myths about why women and girls are raped. Denim Day in LA was born. The first Denim Day in LA event was held in April of 1999 and has continued annually since.

https://denimday.org/