Oluwaseun Omotayo
Trojan Outreach brought awareness to sexual assault and survivors by hosting a campus-wide Denim Day.
While the event is usually held on the last Wednesday of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Trojan Outreach celebrated Denim Day on Tuesday, April 27, since it was the last of classes.
Trojan Outreach’s campaign was organized on the John Lewis Quad from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Denim Day shows the realities of sexual assault cases and helps to advocate for survivors of sexual assault,” said Tori Bruce, a junior social worker major from Pell City, Alabama.
In 1992, a woman was sexually assaulted and the court ruled the sexual assault as consensual. The court claimed the woman’s jeans were too tight for the perpetrator to remove them by himself, implying that the woman helped him remove them.
One of the goals of Denim Day is to discourage victim-blaming.
Bruce, who is also a peer educator with Trojan Outreach, explained how students could get involved and make a difference for others who have gone through situations involving sexual assault.
Trojan Outreach also handed out pieces of denim, sexual assault statistics and resources on the quad.
They organized a virtual campaign on Wednesday, April 28, too, to encourage and educate students via social media.
“We were instructed to wear denim at work today, and I had no idea why,” said Caleb Oke, a senior computer science major from Lagos, Nigeria. “After learning
about Trojan Outreach’s event, I finally understand the significance of this act, and I appreciate that this type of solidarity is present on campus.”
Students can find more information about Denim Day at www.denimdayinfo.org.
Students can also find out more about Trojan Outreach by following Troy University Trojan Outreach on Facebook and @trojan_outreach on Instagram.
“College is a time where students get to learn about social issues and advocate for these issues,” Bruce concluded. “Denim Day gives students that opportunity.”
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