The Gender Justice League, our women and gender studies student practicum group, helped call attention to the victim blaming often suffered by survivors of sexual assault with their October recognition of 'Denim Days'. This international event begain in response to a trial in Italy in 1992, where a rape conviction was overturned because the victim had been wearing tight jeans and the court argued she must have helped her assailant take them off, therefore implying consent. This became known as the “jeans alibi.” The next day the women in the Italian Parliament wore jeans to protest the ruling and the victim blaming narratives being pushed by the court.
To help raise awareness of this type of victim blaming and to show support for survivors of sexual assualt, the GJL organized to wear denim each Friday in October, as well as holding conversation in the UMC with other students. You can follow the Gender Justice League on their Instagram page at @CU_GenderJusticeLeague.
For more information on Denim Day, visit https://www.denimdayinfo.org