Denim Day is Wednesday, April 25. Marquette’s Office of Sexual Violence Prevention and Education invites students, faculty, staff, and members of the community to participate in several events leading up to the observance of Denim Day to show support for survivors and commitment to ending sexual assault and victim blaming. The schedule of events is as follows:
- Denim Drive from Sunday, April 1, to Wednesday, April 25. Donate your denim clothing items to be repurposed into a visual display. Used denim can be dontated anytime to the denim collection bins in any of the following locations: Abbottsford Hall Lobby, Carpenter Tower Lobby, Cobeen Hall Lobby, Mashuda Hall Lobby, Humphrey Hall Lobby, McCormick Hall Lobby, Schroeder Hall Lobby, Straz Tower Lobby, O’Donnell Hall, Counseling Center, and Marquette Place.
- A discussion with Byron Hurt, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, writer and anti-sexist activist, will take place Thursday, April 5, at 7 p.m. in the Varsity Theatre. Hurt will present, “Locker Room Talk or Toxic Masculinity.” There is no cost to attend the discussion, but tickets are required and registration is available online.
- Denim Day Decorating Party on Thursday, April 19, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the 707 Hub. Take an active step in supporting survivors at Marquette by joining us to decorate and re-purpose denim for the Denim Day visual display.
- Denim Day is Wednesday, April 25, and celebrations will take place in the Central Mall (inclement weather location: AMU second floor). Info tables will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. providing access to resources on campus and information on how to get involved in ending violence. A program will take place at noon and Dr. Joya Crear will speak on the importance of supporting survivors. Pizza will also be provided at the event. Participants are encouraged to view the display all day located in the Central Mall and reflect on how the community can take an active part in stopping violence. The Marquette community is invited to show support for survivors of sexual assault by wearing jeans on this day to call for an end to myths surrounding survivors of sexual violence.
All Denim Day events are co-sponsored by the Center for Intercultural Engagement, the Student Wellness Center, MUSG, the Office of Residence Life, MUPD, Campus Mission and Ministry, the Office of Marketing and Communication, Sodexo, the Center for Peacemaking, the Office of Student Development, Students Against Sexual Violence (SASV), and the Counseling Center.
For the past 19 years, Peace Over Violence has run its Denim Day campaign on a Wednesday in April in honor of Sexual Violence Awareness Month. The campaign was originally triggered by a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans she must have helped her rapist remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. The following day, women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim. Peace Over Violence developed the Denim Day campaign in response to this case and the activism surrounding it. Since then, wearing jeans on Denim Day has become a symbol of protest against erroneous and destructive attitudes about sexual assault.