The City of West Hollywood is encouraging everyone to wear jeans on Denim Day 2021, Wednesday, April 28th. Denim Day is internationally recognized to raise awareness on National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
Denim Day was founded by Peace Over Violence in 1999 after a rape conviction case was overturned in Italy. The argument was that the victim had been wearing tight jeans at the time of the assault, so she must have been expressing consent.
The City’s Denim Day recognition is organized each year by the City’s Public Safety Department in the spirit of uniting against sexual assault, to break the silence about sexual violence, and to stand up in support of survivors. City staff members and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department West Hollywood Division deputies will participate in wearing denim on Denim Day 2021.
In recognition of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, West Hollywood City Hall and the lanterns above Santa Monica Boulevard between N. Robertson Boulevard and Hancock Avenue are glowing in the color teal through Friday, April 30, 2021. The City will also participate in the worldwide social media effort marking events taking place across the globe. It will continue to promote its ongoing sexual assault awareness campaign, Only Yes Means Yes to encourage people in the community to be more aware of sexual assault and to promote a message of consent. Amplify the Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month message by using the hashtags #DenimDay, #OnlyYes and #Consent.
Victim of sexual assault, domestic violence or intimate partner stalking resources are available:
The Los Angeles County Rape and Battering Hotline, Peace Over Violence is a confidential non-judgmental resource. Emotional support, advocacy, information, and referrals are available 24-hours-a-day. Contact (213) 626-3393 or (310) 392-8381.
The LA LGBT Center offers domestic violence/partner abuse counseling geared toward the LGBT communities. Contacting (323) 993-7649.
The Jewish Family Service’s Family Violence Program provides confidential 24-hour crisis lines for victims of abuse. Call (310) 858-9344 (English/Spanish); (818) 464.2864 (Farsi) and (310) 858-9344 (Jewish Orthodox).
The Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN), organizes the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline, a referral service that can put you in contact with your local rape crisis center. The hotline is open 24-hours at (800) 656-4673, or access RAINN’s chat feature for help at www.rainn.org.
The City of West Hollywood provides a variety of helpful tips on its website regarding safety and prevention. To find out more information, visit www.weho.org/publicsafety. To find out more about ways to become involved with sexual assault awareness and prevention efforts and volunteer opportunities with the City of West Hollywood’s community partners, please visit www.weho.org/volunteer. For more information about Denim Day, please call the City’s Public Safety Department at (323) 848-6414. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
