Pamphlets, health booths, snacks and conversations filled Conference Rooms A and B for De Anza College’s Denim Day fair on Wednesday, April 22.
Denim Day, an internationally recognized awareness campaign around victim-blaming among sexual assault survivors, began after the Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction in the 1990s because the victim wore tight jeans.
The movement started in Italy and grew internationally as a day to wear jeans and protest victim-blaming and other harmful ideas about sexual violence.
Mental Health and Wellness Center director Will Firmender said the fair addresses critical but often “taboo” or “uncomfortable” topics.
The event featured 20 booths, representing aspects of wellness including LGBTQ+ resources, addiction support groups, mental health resources, free dental screenings and glucose checks.
Brenda Barrientos, interim program director for Foothill College’s dental hygiene and dental assisting program, said Denim Day is “all about awareness.”
“It’s about letting people know that we see them,” Barrientos said.
The program offered free oral cancer screenings and information about Foothill’s dental programs. Foothill dental hygiene major Kenneth Nhan, 23, said the event highlighted unexpected resources.
“We’re here to provide care to students and participants who might not have access to dental care,” Nhan said.
Nhan said that it was his first time at the event and that it showed off services he did not know about.
Alcoholics Anonymous boothed at the event and said substance abuse often tied into sexual violence.
“A majority of sexual assault cases happen under the influence,” Anna, a member of the program, said. “It’s really important for people to understand that you can’t legally consent if you’re under the influence.”
AA members only shared their first names according to the program’s anonymity rules.
Mateo, another member, says queer and female-identifying people in the program and their safety are important.
“I want to make sure everyone feels comfortable and safe here, and is able to share their story in whatever capacity that may be,” Mateo said.
Bob, an AA member sober for 25 years, said when he joined the program, he was “amazed” at how many women had been abused by a male family member.
“I had no idea of the prevalence (of abuse) and most of that is done under the influence of alcohol and drugs,” Bob said.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, up to half of male domestic abusers also have substance use problems, not including cases of sexual violence.
Bob said AA made a positive impact on his life and helped him recover.
“AA at first was just a way to stop drinking, and then after that it became a way of living,” Bob said. “I’ve gone from being depressed and suicidal, to ‘life is just great and worthwhile.’”
The program offers support through addiction, as well as a sense of community and confidence that members carry with them.
“AA gives me the ability to look the world in the eyes, even in the face of fear, and walk through it all with faith,” Connor, AA member, said.
Members said the program can help anybody and everybody, no matter their story.
“A friend of mine got sober at the age of 80. He’s now 89,” Bob said. “He said AA is the best thing that ever happened to him. So, it’s never too late, right?”
