This autumn, Take Back the Night will add support and safe space for male survivors. Take Back the Night is an annual event at Wesleyan University and college campuses nationwide to raise awareness about sexual violence. The event is an opportunity for the community to gather in support of survivors of sexual assault and for those survivors to share their stories in a safe setting. It will be taking place this year on October 19th, in conjunction with the second year of the Clothesline Project.
It is important both that men attend this event as allies and that male survivors have the support they need to speak out about their experiences. Several men expressed concern last year that male survivors did not have that support; students also expressed concern about the exclusivity of the all-female speak-out circle. In response to that feedback, this year all survivors will be welcome to speak at all circles, which will better reflect the way this issue affects the Wesleyan community. The organizing committee, however, also agrees that there should be a safe space for men to talk about how the problem of sexual violence affects them specifically. We strongly encourage a male student to volunteer to organize a Pre-forum to meet that need.
If you are interested in coordinating such an event, please contact Cori Phillips, at cphillips@wesleyan.edu, as soon as possible.
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