HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Sanctuary Inc. in Hopkinsville is participating in the international Denim Day campaign, with their own unique twist, to raise awareness for sexual assault. They encouraged local businesses and organizations to decorate a pair of jeans with words of inspiration and support. The jeans were displayed for a while by the organizations and are now together at Hopkinsville Community College.
On April 22, Sanctuary Inc. held a reception for the Decorate Your Denim Jean Trail, where people were invited to view the jeans and hear more about the history of Denim Day. Womens, children’s, and men’s jeans were decorated by over a dozen organizations in the region. Zirconia Vansauwa said she was inspired by her love of fashion, and loved seeing organizations tap into their creativity to show support.
“This is not just a women’s issue. Everybody is affected by sexual assault, and anybody can be a victim,” said Vansuwa during the reception. “So, we really hope that message hits home and everyone is impacted by Decorate Your Denim.”
The Jean Trail will be displayed through April 26 at Hopkinsville Community College in the Emerging Technologies building, the Hopkinsville Rotary Learning Resource Center, and the administration building. They are encouraging the community to come and take the time to look at the displays and participate in Denim Day.
This year is the 25th anniversary of Denim Day. People are encouraged to wear jeans to stand in solidarity with victims of sexual assault and violence. In Italy in 1992, a rape conviction was overturned after justice’s decided the victim must have assisted her rapist remove her pants because her jeans were too tight. This implied that she consented to the assault and was not a victim. In response, people responded by wearing jeans in solidarity for the victim, which eventually turned into an international day to recognize sexual assault and violence.
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