Gov. Steve Sisolak (D-NV) encouraged all Nevadans to wear denim on April 27 in support of Denim Day.
By participating in the event, Nevadans will be part of an international campaign against sexual violence and sexual assault and show their support for survivors of such crimes, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
“My administration is honored to show our support for survivors of sexual violence and to stand in solidarity in our denim,” Sisolak said in the press release. “I am encouraging all Nevadans to join us on behalf of those who’ve experienced sexual violence around the world. Raising awareness is an important step in our work to eradicate sexual violence from our communities.”
“Denim Day is part of a global movement to raise awareness of sexual assault,” the press release said.
A group called Peace Over Violence has run its Denim Day campaign on a Wednesday in April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, for 20 years, according to the press release. The crusade began after an incident in Italy in 1999 when the Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction because the victim was wearing tight jeans. The court found that the woman must have helped her assailant remove the jeans, implying that there was some type of consent.
“Italian elected officials responded by wearing jeans in protest, and denim has since become a symbol of sexual assault awareness and prevention and the need to dismantle misconceptions surrounding sexual assault,” the press release said.
Sisolak asked Nevada residents to use the Twitter hashtag #DenimDay to join the conversation on the topic.
