For All Seasons host inaugural Denim Day | News - MyEasternShoreMD

EASTON — April is Sexual Assault Awareness month and For All Seasons hosted its first community Denim Day event at the Talbot County Court House on Wednesday, April 24.

Participants enjoyed a special teal-colored ice for Sexual Assault Awareness Month provided by Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard in Easton. Participants also signed denim quilts to be given to victims of sexual assault.

Senator Addie Eckardt, R-37-Mid-Shore, and Easton Mayor Bob Willey presented proclamations during the event; and Don McPherson, former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, activist and feminist spoke about the importance of ending sexual violence.

“Today we have the opportunity to start a conversation that is essential to the community. Denim Day isn’t just about a day, it’s about bringing awareness to an issue and using that awareness to make the commitment to continue the conversation and to join For All Seasons and its partners in ending sexual violence,” said McPherson.

Denim Day is an international event and for the past 20 years, Peace Over Violence has run its Denim Day campaign on a Wednesday in April in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. In Italy in 1992, an 18 year-old girl was raped by the 45 year-old driving instructor during her first driving lesson.

He took her to an isolated road, pulled her out of the car, removed her jeans and forcefully raped her. When she reported the rape, the perpetrator was arrested and prosecuted.

He was convicted of rape and sentenced to jail. Years later, he appealed the conviction claiming that they had consensual sex. A statement from the Court argued that because the victim was wearing very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them.

By removing the jeans it was not rape but consensual sex. This became known throughout Italy as the “jeans alibi.” The Italian Supreme Court overturned the conviction and the perpetrator was released.

Enraged by the verdict, the women in the Italian Parliament launched a protest wearing jeans on the steps of the Supreme Court. This protest was picked up by international media which inspired the California Senate and Assembly to do the same on the steps of the Capitol in Sacramento.

Peace Over Violence Executive Director Patti Occhiuzzo Giggans 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. The first Denim Day in Los Angeles was held in April 1999.

“It’s about educating folks so that we are having conversations that actually start to move our culture so that we are moving people beyond sexual assault,” said For All Seasons Executive Director Beth Anne Langrell. “We need to educate our youth, we need to be educating the men in the culture and educating our community about #metoo and giving people a voice to be able to speak their truth and being able to support those survivors.”

For All Seasons’ 2019 sexual assault campaign focused on the message “#metoo. We believe you.” The campaign is targeted at helping both men and women talk about this issue and to not be afraid to tell their stories about sexual assault.

For All Seasons serves Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne and Talbot counties. For All Seasons Rape Crisis Center offers certified sexual assault victim advocates; counseling and support groups, free and confidential services in English and Spanish, support in the hospital, police department, and court, and referrals to social and legal services.

“I think that our inaugural event set a tone that we will continue this event moving forward,” said Langrell. “Denim Day shouldn’t be (limited to) a day. We want people to think about this in every interaction that they are having.”

For All Seasons English Hotline is 1-800-310-RAPE (7273) and Spanish Hotline is 410-829-6143.

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