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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Elected officials, survivors of sexual violence and other community leaders will join together in their denim and jeans on City Hall South Lawn Steps to proclaim Wednesday as "Denim Day in Los Angeles."
Denim Day is the world's longest-running sexual violence prevention and education campaign.
It recalls an Italian Supreme Court verdict that sparked international outrage when judges overturned a rapist's conviction, arguing that because the victim wore tight jeans, she must have helped her attacker remove them, implying consent. The protests that followed that verdict has grown into an international movement for awareness and support for survivors of rape and sexual violence.
Patti Giggans, Denim Day founder and chief executive officer for Peace Over Violence, a sexual and domestic violence prevention center headquartered in Los Angeles, will provide remarks alongside Lorinda Hawkins- Smith, a performer and survivor, and other survivors of rape and sexual assault.
Immediately after the news conference, Peace Over Violence will host additional speakers, arts and healing activities on City Hall South Lawn until noon.
Los Angeles City Council members Monica Rodriguez, Katy Yaroslavsky, Nithya Raman, Eunisses Hernandez, Heather Hutt, Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, L.A. District Attorney George Gascón, former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and Juan Carlos Rodriguez Muñoz, consulate general of Mexico, are expected to attend the news conference kicking of Denim Day.