What is Denim Day?

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – April is sexual assault awareness and prevention month. Wednesday is Denim Day to show support for victims.

Keri McGregor is the program director of Harbor House , and her message is that there are resources available, and it’s not the victim’s fault.

“It doesn’t matter where they were at, who they were with, how much they had to drink that night. No one should ever violate you in that way,” McGregor said.

At Harbor House, she says they see people who don’t identify as a victim.

“They believe that because they were married or that was their partner, they’re allowed to do those things, so it gets to a point where we work with a survivor for a series of time, weeks, months before we even realize it’s something they’ve experienced,” McGregor said. “That’s something we are trying to educate the community on and work with survivors to identify how frequently this is happening because it’s very underreported.”

She says the more awareness that is raised, the more accurate numbers will become. Showing support on Denim Day sends a message.

“You may have a friend or family member who’s been sexually assaulted, and they never shared that with you,” McGregor said. “So, I think just being a safe person to acknowledge this crime is not acceptable and that you stand behind them, and you believe them no matter if it happened last week or 20 years ago. It’s really important that folks know that they can come forward. There are advocates there to help, and friends and family still support and believe them.”

The Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center also serves victims of sexual assault.

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