Today is Denim Day! Wear jeans today to show your support for those who have been sexually assaulted. For more information, head to denimdayinfo.org. As the website rightly states, “There is no excuse and never an invitation to rape.”

Below is an excerpt from Germ Magazine’s article “What You Need to Know About Sexual Assault Awareness Month,” in which the origins of Denim Day are explained:

“After being raped by her 45-year-old driving instructor during a lesson, an 18-year-old girl took her case to court. Her rapist received 34 months in prison but appealed the sentence. After finally reaching Italy’s Supreme Court, the sentence was repealed after the judges used what some Italian lawmakers called the ‘jeans alibi.’ Since the victim was wearing very tight jeans, she must have helped the man remove them. Therefore, the court determined that she had given consent, and her rapist was let off with simply a ruling of indecent exposure. The next day, female lawmakers began a ‘jeans strike,’ in which they wore jeans to Parliament in protest of the court’s decision. Women in the California Senate and Assembly did the same, leading to the first Denim Day in LA only two months later.”