DENIM DAY: WEAR JEANS WITH A PURPOSE

Community /
April 2021

We love when powerhouses come together to create even bigger, more powerful moments. So when we heard nonprofits Peace Over Violence (POV) and me too. International were joining forces around Denim Day, we just had to support. In hopes to amplify awareness around their anti-rape and domestic vioence crusade, we spoke with POV’s executive director Patti Giggans and ‘me too.’s’ founder Tarana Burke to learn more about their visions and goals surrounding such a powerful day. But first, some background.

WHAT'S DENIM DAY?

Organized annually by POV, Denim Day is a rape prevention education campaign where people around the world use a shared fashion statement—wearing jeans—as a visible means of protest against misconceptions that surround sexual assault.

WHY JEANS??

Good question. The story dates back to 1992, when a young Italian woman was brutalized by her driving instructor who wrestles her out of one leg of jeans and forcefully rapes her during her very first lesson. Although convicted and sentenced to jail, the rapist appeals the sentence, taking his case all the way to the Italian Supreme Court where it’s overturned and the defendant is released. A statement by the Chief Judge argued that “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, women in the Italian Parliament launched a protest by wearing jeans to work. This call to action motivated and emboldened the California Senate and Assembly to do the same, which in turn spread to Patti—and in 1999, Denim Day was born.

EXCLUSIVE DENIM DAY INTERVIEW

What brought you two powerhouses together?

Patti: Started as a rape crisis hotline in 1971, Peace Over Violence is celebrating 50 years of anti-rape and sexual and domestic violence movement work. The brilliance of #metoo was encouraging and allowing survivors to come out of the shadows at their own pace and time and in the company of so many. Because of #metoo, sexual harassment and rape survivors were no longer the “only” or the “lonely” ones. ‘me too.’ went from a hashtag to a movement in a flash because of all the movement building that went before and social media was an igniter. Under the leadership of Tarana, ‘me too.’ validated the enormity and the seriousness of sexual violence and its impact in every sector, community, and industry and especially on those who had been left out.

It opened up awareness and firmly included sexual harassment in the continuum of sexual violation—from sexual harassment all the way to assault and rape. POV supported and encouraged ‘me too.’ and the movement that ensued. Uplifting survivor voices and their stories created an avenue for more change. POV is headquartered in Los Angeles amidst the entertainment industry and because of our mutual work, we often ran in the same circles and connected with similar partners. Partnering ourselves was a natural next step!

Tarana: Exactly, there was an instant chemistry. And with Levi’s^® proven history of supporting work that advances gender justice and gender equity, it was only right to team up in support of the most important days during Sexual Assault Awareness Month!

Black and white image of Patti Giggans, Peace Over Violence's executive Director layered on top of a black and white image of frayed denim jeans.

If there were one single message you hope people take away from this day, what would it be?

Patti: There is no excuse and never an invitation to harass, abuse, assault or rape. Survivors deserve support and respect, not shame or blame. Healing is possible.

Denim Day is just one out of 365 days in the year. How can people stay involved and help make a difference year-round?

Patti: To transform our violence-prone society we must do our due diligence to educate ourselves and others around equity, which without, we’ll never end sexual and domestic violence. Let’s support survivors every day, commit to bystander intervention and invest in violence prevention. Connect to and support or volunteer at your local rape and sexual assault crisis centers. Each one of us can have an impact and make a difference to free our culture from the epidemic of sexual violence.

Any thoughts around the current accountability conversations taking place across the country?

Patti: It’s becoming very clear that individuals will not stop harming and resorting to violence until systems stop oppressing. There is no way that sexual violence and other violences will be reduced or ended until there is racial justice, gender justice and economic justice. The accountability conversations, the protests, the speaking of truth to power, the reimaginings, the drive to perfect our democracy are all part of creating a new path to a better future, free from interpersonal violence. We are in an evolutionary revolutionary moment. Let’s keep going!

Tarana: Real accountability is a powerful step in the work towards getting justice, but it’s not the only step. Real accountability requires an acknowledgement of harm, and a curiosity and commitment to mitigating future harm. If we want justice, we have to be willing to grapple with the fact that systems are not in place for survivors. We don’t yet live in a world that allows for accountability, healing and transformative approaches to dealing with harm. We all have to be committed to examining our own behaviors, thoughts and beliefs that keep us from truly seeing each other.

Black and white portrait of Tarana Burke from me too layered on top of stacked jeans.

To those who see ‘me too.’ as a trend, what would you like to say?

Tarana: The funny thing about trends is that they deeply influence the direction in which we behave, think and function as a society. When those who say that ‘me too.’ is a fad, or thing of the past, I’m reminded of the tirelessness of Rosa Parks, Harriet Ann Jacobs, Grace Lee Boggs, Yuri Kochiyama. Yuri said, “movement is contagious, and the people in it are the ones who pass on the spirit.”

Black and white image of a stack of denim jeans.

“me too.’ is a movement—we’re growing, building and organizing. But most importantly, we’re doing that through the work of healing.”

Healing and joy will always be on trend. And even if one day ‘me too.’ is no longer in the mouths of thousands, I hope it will be because we understand the power of healing and we’ve learned how to identify and interrupt the harms in our lives, our communities.

What’s next for ‘me too.’?

Tarana: That depends on all of us. We’ve built an action platform called Act Too that has hundreds of ways for anyone asking “what’s next?” to take steps towards ending sexual violence. As for the organization, we’re continuing to center survivors in the work of healing through our programs and website resources. We’re building a national and international network of individuals, collectives and organizations committed to anti-sexual violence work, particularly in marginalized communities and the global South.

In a perfect world, what does “peace” look and feel like to you?

Patti: Peace and violence prevention are the heart and mind of a better world. We chose the name and created the brand Peace Over Violence to project an aspiration and an inspiration. Our vision is a world where no child is abused, no wife battered, no friend raped. A world without terror, without threats, without wounds from intentional violence including racism, sexism, misogyny, anti-LGBTQ-ism, anti-semitism, all the isms and ostracisms. Where the strong provide for the vulnerable and the vulnerable become empowered. Where every kind of family and community is safe and secure and everyone has a fair and equitable chance at well-being, inclusion and the pursuit of happiness in a tolerant and talented society.

Follow Peace Over Violence and ‘me too.’ on Instagram to follow the movement and get involved.

For anyone in crisis, please visit ‘me too.’s’ resource center where you can find support and guidance for you or someone you love.