State of Bank Toulon, Kewanee Banking Center employees showed their support for Denim Day on April 24.

Since 1999, Denim Day has provided the opportunity to show solidarity and support for survivors of sexual violence, and to get the word out, staff at Freedom House distributed posters in the five counties it serves with the story of how the day began.

Melanie Whitmer, sexual violence program manager for the agency, said that Denim Day is held on the last Wednesday in April in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

“The Italian Supreme Court dismissed charges against a 45-year-old rape suspect because his 18-year-old victim was wearing jeans at the time of the attack,” said Whitmer. “The judge argued that the young victim must have helped the accused remove them, thus making the sex consensual.”

The following day, she said, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim. Soon, women in the U.S. and other countries joined in.

Whitmer said “Since then, what started as a local campaign to bring awareness to victim blaming and destructive myths that surround sexual violence has grown into an international movement.”

Photo, upper left, employees of the Henry County Courthouse in Cambridge wore blue jeans on Denim Day to show their support for survivors of sexual violence. Upper right photo shows employees of State Bank of Toulon in Toulon and lower photo shows employees at State Bank of Toulon, Galva Banking Center.

The campaign is the longest-running sexual violence prevention and education campagin in history, she said.

“Denim Day asks community members, elected officials, businesses, and students to make a statement by wearing jeans on this day as a visible means of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual violence.”

Whitmer works with survivors of sexual violence and sees how traumatizing it is and how difficult it is for victims to discuss and come forward.

“As a result, sexual assault perpetrators often walk away unpunished,” said Whitmer. “Moreover, the survivors and victims are more often than not blamed for the incident.”

Taking part in Denim Day were the employees of the Henry County Courthouse in Cambridge, Black Hawk College – East Campus students, and staff at all three branches of the State Bank of Toulon.

Anyone affected by sexual violence is encouraged to contact Freedom House by calling the 24/7 hotline at (800) 474-6031. Information is also available through their website at www.freedomhouseillinois.org. All services are free and confidential.