ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (May 1, 2024) – The U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command, or ATEC, hosted the Team Aberdeen Proving Ground, or APG, 2024 Sexual Assault Awareness Prevention Month, or SAAPM, Spoken Word and Denim Day event at Mallette Training Facility on APG, April 24.
This year’s SAAPM theme is Change Through Unity: Empower. Protect. Prevent.
In 1992, an 18-year-old girl in Italy was raped by her 45-year-old driving instructor who was taking her to her driving lesson. During the lesson, he took her to an isolated road, pulled her out of the car, removed her jeans and forcefully raped her.
The girl reported the rape, and the perpetrator was arrested, prosecuted, and then convicted of rape and sentenced to jail. Years later, the perpetrator appealed the conviction stating he and the girl had consensual sex.
The Italian Supreme Court overturned the rape conviction because the rape victim wore tight jeans. According to the court, because the victim was wearing very tight jeans, she had to help him (the alleged rapist) remove them, and by removing the jeans it was not rape but consensual sex.
Outraged by the court’s decision, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim the day after the verdict. International media highlighted this protest which inspired the California Senate and Assembly to do the same on the steps of the Capitol in Sacramento.
Patti Occhiuzzo Giggans, executive director of Peace Over Violence, saw this in the media and thought everyone should be wearing jeans to protest all of the myths about why women and girls are raped. As a result, Giggans initiated Denim Day in Los Angeles, and the first Denim Day event was held in Los Angeles April of 1999, and has continued annually since.
Jim Amato, ATEC executive technical director and deputy to the commander, gave opening remarks and thanked audience for attending this year’s annual Denim Day observance. Amato gave a brief definition of spoken word and what to expect during the event.
“Spoken word poetry, otherwise known as performance poetry, is an artform that transforms poetry readings into theatrical events,” said Amato. "The aim is to spur a reaction to the words performed onstage and audience participation is encouraged and anticipated.”
Following Amato’s remarks, Jody Jackson, ATEC’s Equal Employment Opportunity director, welcomed the participants to the stage to perform their poetry. Seven poems were recited by five participants.
In between performances, Jackson inserted check on learning questions to enable the audience to receive credit for Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention, or SHARP, annual refresher training.
At the conclusion of the event, Amato presented certificates of appreciation to all participants and gave closing remarks.
For help or further information on Denim Day, please visit http://denimdayinfo.org.
For further information on services provided by APG’s SHARP Resource Center, please contact the APG SHARP Hotline at 410-322-7154.
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