LIHU‘E — Former mayor and current Kaua‘i County Councilmember Bernard Carvalho Jr. said fashion should not be a signal for unwelcome actions.
Carvalho joined with other members of the council, Gov. David Ige’s Kaua‘i liaison Carrice Caspillo-Gardner, and Kaua‘i Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami in demonstrating the government’s posture against sexual violence against women on Denim Day.
“Denim Day, this year designated as April 27, is an important component of April being observed as Sexual Assault Awareness Month,” said Edie Ignaci Neumiller of the Zonta Club of Kaua‘i. “Denim Day is a call to action for all people to come together by wearing denim as a visibile sign of protest against sexual violence. The Zonta Club of Kaua‘i encourages community members, elected officials, state, local, and county employees, businesses, survivors, organizations, and students to make a social statement with their fashion on Apr. 27 as a visible means of protest against misconceptions that surround sexual assault on Denim Day.”
Neumiller dug into her smartphone for photos of groups garbed in denim, the most common form being jeans, including the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau office staff, and the Department of Water who was meeting on their own.
“For the past 23 years, Peace Over Violence has run an inspiring and powerful opportunity to practice solidarity and support survivors by renewing its commitment to exposing harmful behaviors and attitudes surrounding sexual violence,” the Kaua‘i County Council said in its Certificate celebrating Denim Day. “Denim Day is the longest-running sexual violence prevention and education campaign in history, and the Kaua‘i County Council proudly stands with the Zonta Club of Kaua‘i in recognizing April 2022 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and Denim Day.”
Gov. Ige, in his proclamation to the Zonta Club of Kaua‘i, said International Denim Day has been observed since April 1999 as a symbol of protest in response to a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court that found a victim’s choice of clothing implied consent.
Denim Day was originally triggered by a ruling from the Italian Supreme Court where a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the victi was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped her rapist remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. Women of the Italian Parliament protested the decision by wearing jeans to work as a visual protest, states the mayoral proclamation.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
