Penn State’s Gender Equity Center is encouraging all students to participate in Denim Day on Wednesday, April 28.

Each year on Denim Day, millions of people across the country wear jeans to support victims of sexual violence. The initiative is a part of the nationally recognized Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM) in April.

Students are encouraged to take pictures in their denim and use the hashtag #DenimDay2021 on social media. Additionally, they should tag @pennstategeneq in the post and share why they’re supporting survivors by wearing denim. Photos can also be emailed to Becca Geiger at [email protected] to be shared on the Gender Equity Center’s pages.

“We know everyone who is interested in violence prevention may not be able to donate their time or talents,” assistant director of the Gender Equity Center Becca Geiger said in a release. “Participatory action and awareness campaigns such as Denim Day enable anyone to get involved by choosing to do a small act to show support for survivors of sexual violence, and send the message that at Penn State we refuse to accept the normalization of sexual harm and victim-blaming narratives our society often touts.”

The annual event began in 1999 as a response to a 1998 ruling by the Italian Supreme Court, which ruled a rape conviction be overturned because the victim’s jeans were too tight when the assault took place, implying her consent. The following day, women in Italy’s legislatures came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim.

The Office of Veteran Programs, the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, UPUA, Penn State Alpha Phi Alpha, and the Penn State Panhellenic Council are partnering with the Gender Equity Center on the Denim Day initiative.

UPUA and the Gender Equity Center, in addition to other campus partners and student organizations, hosted “Conquering Distance through Empathy” earlier this month during Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention (SVAP) Week in recognition of SAAPM. Students can also take action by applying to be a peer educator with the Gender Equity Center. In the position, students will serve the Penn State community by offering programming on sexual assault and bystander intervention, consent, healthy/toxic relationships, body image, and more.