Student organization holds Denim Day concert to protest victim blaming for sexual assault survivors

Tigers Against Sexual Assault, a student advocacy group, held a concert Wednesday in support of Denim Day. 

Denim Day was established to bring awareness to victim blaming after a high profile 1992 Italian rape case where the victim was blamed for the crime due to wearing tight denim jeans. Since then, people have worn denim jeans to protest victim blaming on the last Wednesday of April.

The bands Devin World, The Last Words of John Wiese, Not My Real Job and Self-Checkout Renaissance performed in the Greek Amphitheater.

History and philosophy junior Nicole Phillips, the head of recruitment for TASA, said the concert was put on to bring people together for Denim Day and raise money for Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response, a group that aim to provide support to sexual assault survivors. All proceeds from the event will go directly to survivor services. 

Around 30 people were in attendance.

Planned Parenthood, the National Organization for Women, Keeping Tigers Safe, Tigers Against Violence and Feminists in Action were all tabling for the event, providing information on the resources they offer.

“We’re just really hoping to bring together the campus and the community, that’s our main goal with this event because ending sexual violence and creating a safe culture isn’t something that can be done by one group or one person alone, it really is about building community and coming together to work towards having a safer environment,” Phillips said.  

The bands were all pulled from the local community. This was Self-Checkout Renaissance’s last performance in Baton Rouge before going on tour.

Doctoral candidate Derrick Lathan, the social change director for STAR, said that they partnered with TASA to put on the event. He said STAR provides counseling, therapy, legal services, community engagement and other forms of support for sexual assault survivors. They are based entirely in Louisiana with branches in Alexandria, Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Lathan said he hopes the event provides a sense of solidarity and community.

“A lot of times survivors feel like they’re on their own,” Lathan said. “We want people to understand the true impact of sexual violence, it impacts the survivor, it also impacts the loved ones, it impacts the community around. So we want communities to come together to take a stand against sexual violence or to prevent sexual violence.”

Creative writing senior John Wiese, lead singer in The Last Words of John Wiese, said they participated in the concert because TASA’s cause is relevant and important. He said he wanted to make the community as positive as it could be.

Wiese said he wanted people to be aware that just because they may not be confronted with sexual assault themselves, that doesn’t mean it’s not a problem in the community. He said he felt the music performed could provide people with the release they need.

“Music of course has a very communal aspect around it,” Wiese said. “All of the songs being performed tonight are original songs, most everyone here has crafted something. This is a creative space that has grown to be accepting of all kinds and creeds and forms of expression, and I think it leads the charge in that way.”