Students took to the streets of Downtown Binghamton on Friday evening to conclude a week of events devoted to combating sexual assault and violence.
Organized by the Binghamton University Women’s Student Union (WSU), around 40 students participated in the Take Back The Night (TBTN) protest. The event was part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which is overseen by the Office of the Dean of Students to inform students and faculty about sexual assault. TBTN is an international nonprofit organization that seeks to end all forms of sexual violence, holding marches, rallies and vigils in more than 600 communities worldwide.
The rally began at the Peacemaker’s Stage on Court Street, with participants chanting and holding signs with phrases such as “It’s a dress not a yes” and “Break the silence, end the violence.” Sara Hobler, the historian of WSU and a sophomore double-majoring in history and sociology, said that the protest was a good way to raise awareness about an issue that is often silenced.
“By making our presence known and making noise, we are fighting a system that systemically silences those who have been sexually assaulted,” Hobler wrote in an email. “We had an excellent turnout and really turned heads out in the community, so I feel we really accomplished what we set out to do.”
Sexual Assault Awareness Week also included Wednesday’s “Line the Spine” silent protest, a sexual assault trivia on Monday in the Marketplace and poster-making on Tuesday in the University Union. According to Aidan Hernandez, a junior double-majoring in economics and philosophy, politics and law, the week was an effort to inform students about how sexual assault is handled by BU’s administration.
“The message we are trying to convey is that rape culture is unacceptable and the way the administration handles instances of sexual assault is inadequate and problematic,” Hernandez wrote in an email.
According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), the world’s largest anti-sexual assault campaign, 68 percent of sexual assaults are not reported to the police and 98 percent of rapists never spend a day in jail. According to Jesse Tullo, a member of WSU and a sophomore majoring in human development, publicizing these statistics is the best way to fix the problem.
“The purpose of rallying was to bring people together to publicly express our anger at the sexual violence that continues to go on,” Tullo said. “By shattering the silence on sexual violence, we successfully helped the public become more educated, but most importantly helped survivors know they are not alone.”
Hobler said that WSU hopes to extend the influence of the TBTN movement by increasing participation and unifying campus to continue protesting sexual assault.
“We need on-campus support from a wide variety of students for change to be made,” Hobler said. “The reception was generally positive, but we still have a long way to go before I’ll say that Take Back The Night is an event supported by the general student body.”
Friday’s rally concluded with Speak Out, an event where participants were invited to share personal stories in a safe, intimate environment at Uncorked Creations on State Street. Rules for attendees were enforced to ensure security and empathy to those who decided to share their stories.
“The Speak Out that followed the rally provided a safe place for survivors to share their stories without fear of judgment,” Tullo said. “I think we successfully made the Speak Out an event that allowed survivors to find strength, support and validation that they are not alone.”