Waypoint is proud to present Denim Day on Friday, April 16, 2010 – a campaign aimed to raise awareness about the dynamics of sexual violence. Waypoint encourages individuals, businesses, churches, organizations, and civic groups to promote awareness and support our community’s sexual assault program by getting involved.
For businesses, churches, organizations, or civic groups:
- Arrange a jeans day on Friday, April 16, 2010 and encourage participants to donate $1 to the Waypoint Sexual Assault Intervention Program.
- Provide participants with free "Why Denim?" buttons, supplied by Waypoint, to wear on Denim Day.
- Post Denim Day flyers in your place of business, church, organization or civic group.
For individuals:
- Wear denim on Friday, April 16, 2010.
- Wear a "Why Denim?" button on Denim Day, supplied by Waypoint.
- Educate others on why you chose to make a statement, take a stand, and wear denim.
Why Denim?
In Italy, 1997 a 17-year-old girl is whisked up by her 56-year-old instructor for her very first driving lesson. An hour later – raped and abandoned by him in an alley, she had to find her way back home. Undeterred, she prosecuted him and won. The driving instructor is convicted of rape and sentenced to jail. Months later, the perpetrator appeals the sentence and it goes all the way to the Supreme Court. Within a matter of days the case against the driving instructor is overturned, dismissed, and the perpetrator released. In a statement released by the Head Judge, he argued, “because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them... and by removing the jeans...it was no longer rape but consensual sex.” Enraged by the verdict, within a matter of hours the women in the Italian Parliament launched into immediate action and protested by wearing JEANS to work. This call-to-action has motivated groups and individuals throughout the world...and Denim Day was born.