A multitiered line of T-shirts stretched down the Union Ballroom Hallway, each covered in bright colors, but showcasing contrastingly darker messages.
One shirt read, “Get out of my room!” Another, “Do you believe me now, Mom?”
These shirts are a part of the semiannual Clothesline Project, launched Tuesday, Oct. 27 at the U. An international initiative, Clothesline was founded in 1990 to bring attention to violence against women. It was spurred by the release of a statistic stating 51,000 women in the United States were killed, most likely by intimate partners, during the timeframe of the Vietnam War, in contrast to the 58,000 soldiers who died during the actual war.
To share the experiences of domestic violence and sexual assault survivors, each shirt hung on the clothesline conveyed a personalized message. Anyone who had direct or indirect experience with sexual or partner violence was invited to create a shirt, including faculty and staff members.
The clothesline was hung in the Union Ballroom Hallway — a high-traffic area — to garner attention for the problem that persists in and around the U’s community. The space also allowed staff to monitor any emotional responses incited by the event.
Jodi Petersen, a sexual assault support advocate, has observed the shock felt by those who view the messages.
“Many times people will start to look at the shirts, but when they realize what they represent they will immediately find somewhere else to look and pick up their pace,” Petersen said in an emailed statement.
Petersen said this is not necessarily callousness, but rather an inability to handle subject matter that has long been suppressed.
The project attempts to give a voice to survivors who have felt isolated by their partner and community. If survivors become distressed upon reading the shirts, trained advocates are on-site to offer support and guidance.
Petersen said this psychological impact is called “vicarious trauma.”
When the event is over, the shirts will be folded and stored away, but will return during Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April for the next Clothesline Project.
@sarahnlegg