April 20, 2021
April is nationally recognized as Sexual Violence Prevention Month. Sexual violence continues to be a crisis in the United States, with 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men living as survivors of sexual assault. Some dialogue on social media aims to perpetuate the crisis, but real work is underway to support survivors and raise awareness.
Yesterday, Keene State started a week-long event to fight stigma about sexual assault and the perception that clothing choice is connected to sexual assault. The event is the second “What Were You Wearing?” Gallery Show. Students who experienced sexual assault were invited, if they wished, to contribute to the Gallery. Each display includes a clothing representation of what a survivor was wearing when they were assaulted with a short statement about the outfit or experience.