Gay Blue Jeans Day

Blue Jeans Day is celebrated on college and university campuses across the country as a way to promote equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. Started in 1974 at Rutgers University, Blue Jeans Day is observed in coordination with Gay Pride Week or National Coming Out Day (October 11). Its purpose is to promote equal rights for gay and transgender people; wearing blue jeans, whether a person is gay or straight, is a way to show support for equal rights for everyone. Jeans were chosen because they are commonly worn by all people. On Blue Jeans Day, heterosexuals aware of the tradition could either show solidarity with gay people by wearing blue jeans and become possible targets of homophobia themselves, or be forced to engage in homophobia by consciously choosing to wear something else.