Revolution Against Rape is an activist organization at the University of Connecticut advocating against sexual assault, rape and rape culture on campus. It held its annual March to End Victim Blaming to honor Sexual Assault Awareness Month on Friday, April 17.
There were messages on signs such as “Believe survivors,” “Your voice has POWER! Use it to support survivors,” “Boys will be boys,” except the second “boys” was crossed out and replaced with “accountable for their own actions,” “‘No’ does not mean ‘convince me,’” “Almost one in four undergrad women experience SA,” “Don’t tell us how to dress, tell people not to rape” and “We’re supposed to protect the victim, not blame them!” with the phrase “Victim blaming” circled and crossed out.
A message particular that was effective in its purpose to educate was a pie chart titled “Causes of rape.” The listed potential causes included clothes, alcohol, walking alone, flirting and rapists. The color designated for rapists was the entire color of the pie chart.
There were also paper T-shirts cut out with messages written in marker to symbolize how people could be sexually assaulted regardless of what they wear and how they look.
“What we do is that we educate, foster awareness and create a safe space for victim-survivors,” said Grian Wizner, an eighth-semester English education major and president of RAR.
“We’re here for everyone, not just victim-survivors,” he continued.
Secretary of RAR Julia Stout, an eighth-semester human rights and political science major, led an outdoor chalking session. She reminded the attendees, “Do not write anything sexist or offensive.” She then gave examples of pro-consent and anti-sexual assault messaging to write in chalk.
The attendees took pieces of chalk and wrote messages promoting enthusiastic consent, ending victim blaming and condemning sexual assault among other topics across central campus.
While walking her child by the Student Union, Connecticut State Senator Mae Flexer recognized the chalk writing as RAR’s work. She expressed support in the group’s messaging.
Flexer sat down on one of the outdoor stone seats while her child borrowed chalk from RAR to draw with the activists.
“The students who are part of RAR are making UConn a safer place for students in the future,” Flexer told her child.
“UConn needs to support and protect survivors more,” Bonnie DiAngelis, an eighth-semester environmental science major and vice president of RAR, said.
“The reason why we host these events like the march and chalking and tabling is because we want survivors to know that they are not alone and we will always believe and support them,” DiAngelis continued.
“RAR has been around for 13 years, and we will be here until rape ceases to exist,” Stout said.