Venue changed due to weather. Now on the second floor of the Bone Student Center.
The Illinois State University community is asked to show support for survivors of sexual assault by taking part in Denim Day on April 24.
“On Denim Day, millions of people across the world wear jeans with a purpose,” said Department of Criminal Justices’ Shelly Clevenger. “The effort is designed to offer support for survivors, and provide education about all forms of sexual violence.”
Denim Day began more than 20 years ago, after 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 was complicit in the perpetrator’s actions. Attributing rape to what the survivor was wearing is a form of “victim blaming,” or making the assault seem to be the fault of the survivor.
“Survivors are asked in a myriad of ways if the assault was their fault, whether by what they were wearing, who they were with, or what they were drinking,” said Criminal Justices’ Shelly Clevenger, whose students studying sex offences recently created an exhibit called “What Were You Wearing?” “We need to move past that idea.”
Students, faculty, and staff from WGS and Health Promotion and Wellness’ student groups Students Ending Rape Culture (SERC) and the Student Wellness Ambassador Team (SWAT) will on the second floor of the Bone Student Center by the Redbird Card Office to provide information and raise awareness.
Denim Day is one of the campus activities aimed to honor Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Health Promotion and Wellness is also hosting the program Communicating Consent program at 6 p.m. April 24, in Schroeder Hall, room 244. The Illinois State community will be taking part in the YWCA Take Back The Night, which begins at 6 p.m. in front of the McLean County Museum of History. A display of art from sexual assault survivors will be on display from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on April 29 at the University Galleries.
