On Apr. 3, Michigan Tech students, staff, and community members gathered in the MUB Superior Room for a denim painting event hosted by Equal Opportunity Compliance and Title IX in partnership with the student organization S.A.V.E. and a nonprofit organization, Copper Shores. This event was part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month activities.
“This is really about challenging the harmful myths and behaviors surrounding sexual assault,” said Dawn Corwin, Title IX Prevention Coordinator. “Denim Day reminds us that no article of clothing justifies sexual violence — everyone has the right to wear what they want and still be safe.”
Participants painted donated jeans with various designs – some are spring-inspired with flowers and leaves, and some are phrases related to support, advocacy, and resistance to sexual violence. The decorated denim will be displayed on Walker Lawn beginning Tuesday, Apr. 8 as part of an awareness installation.
“I don’t claim to be an artist, but I am enjoying this,” said Sgt. Beth Maatta of Michigan Tech Public Safety and Police Services, who also attended the painting session.
Denim Day, observed annually on the last Wednesday of Apr. — this year on Apr. 30 — served as the inspiration for the project. The international awareness day began in 1999 following a 1998 ruling by the Italian Supreme Court that overturned a rape conviction. The Court determined that the victim’s tight jeans implied consent because they could not have been removed without assistance. The decision led to public protests, including a demonstration in which women in the Italian Parliament wore jeans in solidarity with the victim and to challenge misconceptions about consent.
In response, the nonprofit Peace Over Violence launched Denim Day in the United States to encourage discussion of victim-blaming and to support survivors. In 2008, the Italian Supreme Court reversed its earlier stance, rejecting the use of clothing as a basis for consent in sexual assault cases.
Corwin said the university is working with Copper Shores, a nonprofit that offers services for survivors of crimes, such as sexual assault, human trafficking, elder abuse, stalking, and bullying. According to their brochure, Copper Shores operates a team of trained victim advocates available 24/7, and they “help people walk the path that is best for them.”
“They’re working with local high schools, too, so this effort is stretching across Houghton, Hancock, and Calumet,” Corwin said.
Denim Day organizers encourage participation on Apr. 30 by wearing denim in support of survivors.
For more information on Title IX or sexual violence prevention, contact titleix@mtu.edu. For more information about Copper Shores, call 906-523-5920 or email vs@coppershores.org.
