Kingsborough’s “Denim Day” Supports Battered Women And Other Victims Of Sexual Violence

Scores of Kingsborough Community College students gathered on point of the Manhattan Beach peninsula on Wednesday to recognize Denim Day, an event that supports the rights of domestic violence victims internationally and changing attitudes about sexual violence.

The event drew about 100 students clad in denim to the lawn outside the MAC Rotunda on the edge of the campus’ waterfront.

Denim Day began following a controversial Italian Supreme Court decision in 1998 that overturned a rape conviction because the victim wore tight jeans. According to the justice, the victim’s jeans indicated her consent, since he believed the assailant needed her help to remove them.

In a fit of outrage, activists have turned that victimization into a sign of protest and empowerment for survivors of sexual violence.

The school’s Women’s Center, in collaboration wit the Public Safety Department, also kicked off a month-long “Donate your denim” campaign, which collects new and gently-used clothing to be donated to safe houses for survivors. A separate toiletry drive is being conducted as well.