Photo courtesy of Carley McGovern. Pictured above, t-shirts from The Clothesline Project hang in the Beehive. 

Different colored t-shirts are clipped all around the Beehive. Written on these shirts are stories and statements from survivors of sexual assault. 

“I endured. I say ‘no.’ He says ‘yes.’”

This is the Clothesline Project, a visual display to spread awareness about violence towards women. This project originated in Hyannis, Massachusetts, 1990. Since then, many Clothesline Projects have begun across many different communities, including St. Ambrose. 

Family Resources Representative MJ explains that the Clothesline Project does more than spread awareness. “The main idea of events like this is awareness, of course, but these are also things that are not talked about. Survivors often feel a lot of shame about these things, and they don’t need to. It’s prevalent. It’s here in our community, it’s something we don’t talk about, but it’s happening.”

Photo courtesy of Carley McGovern. Pictured above, representatives from Family Resources and the Sexual Assault Awareness Team (SAAT) give out information about The Clothesline Project. 

Each t-shirt color represents a different kind of violence against women. White is for women who have died of violence, yellow/beige is for women who have been battered or assaulted, red/pink/orange is for women who have been raped, blue/green is for women who are survivors of incest or child sexual abuse, and purple/lavender is for women attacked because of their sexual orientation.

SAU SAAT Advisor Lisa Fortner explains that the Clothesline Project originally came to SAU around 2008, when SAAT was formed. “The club was started by Katy Strzepek, former Chair of Women and Gender Studies, and she began a partnership with Family Resources to bring events like Clothesline and other Advocacy partnerships to SAU.”

This event is held every April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This officially became the theme of the month over 20 years ago. However, according the to National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), the roots of this movement date back even before this official monthly recognition. 

NSVRC explains that movements against sexual violence began to gain more attention beginning in the 1940s and 1950s, largely championed by women of color. The first rape crisis center was founded in 1971, when awareness for sexual violence and survivors really started to increase. 

Now that April is more commonly known as Sexual Assault Awareness month, there are many different events that spread awareness about this issue. The Clothesline Project is one, which provides a powerful visual demonstration of not only the scope of the problem, but a representation of survivors fighting back. 

SAU senior SAAT advocate Macy O’Mary says this project is a great way for survivors to speak out. “It allows survivors to have a voice and share their story while remaining anonymous and not having to deal with any pressure or humiliation regarding the unfair stereotypes surrounding this issue.”

The t-shirts hung around the Beehive all have different things written on them: some describe the abuse they endured, some present important dates in their healing journey, and some share an encouraging message to other survivors. 

Photo courtesy of Carley McGovern. Pictured above, a white t-shirt hangs in the Beehive with the words “I am a survivor & I believe you” written on it. 

While these t-shirts are no longer hung up in the Beehive, there are more events in April. Every Tuesday this month is “Teal Tuesday,” in which students are encouraged to wear teal to raise awareness about sexual assault. 

The Lisa Project will be held on April 17th and 18th, which is an interactive experience about child abuse prevention and awarness. This event can be triggering, but concerns an important topic. For more information, please visit: The Lisa Project

Denim Day is April 24th, where students are invited to wear denim to fight against victim blaming. Survivors of sexual violence are often asked what they were wearing during the assault, which many claim promotes an environment in which the survivor is held responsible for what happened to them, not the perpetrator. Students are encouraged to wear denim on April 24th to protest this narrative. 

The last official event of Sexual Assault Awareness Month at SAU is Walk a Mile. During this event, men on campus are invited to put on a pair of heels and walk a mile around campus. This event is an opportunity for men to show their solidarity with survivors of sexual violence and women overall. 

Students and faculty are welcome at all of these events. While these events are temporary, sexual violence is a problem year-round. Those interested in joining SAAT can email [email protected], and those looking to speak directly with a SAAT Advocate can email [email protected]. Students are also able to contact the counseling center at [email protected] and family resources at (563) 326-6431.