EASTERN OREGON — Domestic Violence Services invites people to go through their closets and select clothing to participate in a pair of clothing-related awareness campaigns.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Tuesday, April 1, is Day of Action. People are encouraged to wear teal-colored clothing — the designated color selected in 2000 by sexual violence coalitions across the country. Also, DVS suggests marking your calendar for Denim Day on April 30, and wear denim clothing.

According to Peace Over Violence, female Italian Parliament members launched a protest in 1999 — that was picked up by international media — by wearing denim on the steps of the Italian Supreme Court in response to an overturned rape conviction. The justices determined that because the victim was wearing tight jeans, they surmised that she must have assisted the perpetrator in removing her pants, which implied consent.

Peace Over Violence, a nonprofit organization in Los Angeles, developed the Denim Day campaign in response to the case. Since then, it has grown into a worldwide movement, held on the last Wednesday in April. Community members are encouraged to “… make a social statement with their fashion statement by wearing jeans on this day as a visible means of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual violence.

Domestic Violence Services has served Umatilla and Morrow counties for nearly 50 years. It provides advocacy, support and emergency services for survivors of domestic, sexual and dating violence and stalking. For more information, visit www.dvs-or.org or search Facebook via bit.ly/4fnoYU5.