MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Wearing jeans will take on a new meaning Wednesday, April 23, as Mayor Tom Barrett and Dr. Magda Peck, Dean of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, will join local advocates and survivors to kick-off Denim Day Milwaukee, a day to support survivors of sexual assault and raise awareness for the misconceptions that surround assault.
Denim Day Milwaukee is part of an international awareness day that began after an Italian woman was raped by her driving instructor. The perpetrator was convicted, but the sentence was overturned when a court determined that because the victim’s jeans were tight, she must have removed them herself, and the assault was then consensual sex. The verdict motivated women and men worldwide to dedicate a day to wearing jeans to highlight misconceptions around sexual assault.
This year, Denim Day Milwaukee has partnered with area colleges and universities to support victims and change the conversation around assault, an effort that comes just months after the White House established a Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, and as a Marquette University study reports that young women today view objectification, harassment and abuse as normal.
For more information visit www.denimdaymke.org.