April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), is a time for people to learn about what sexual assault is and how to prevent it.
Bowling Green State University (BGSU) partners with the Cocoon, Wood County’s domestic and sexual violence agency, to put on events during SAAM. One of the events was the What Were You Wearing Exhibit.
This exhibit, held most of the day on Monday, April 6 in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union (BTSU), Room 207, is put on by the Cocoon. The exhibit presents the stories of people who have experienced sexual assault.
Amanda Ark, the Cocoon’s outreach and communications coordinator, said each outfit is chosen and purchased to represent what a person was wearing during a time they were sexually assaulted.
“Every outfit is a representation of an outfit that a survivor was wearing, and we’ll put out a call for stories and experiences. And then when those come through in a few grants, we are able to purchase clothing that is a representation or similar to the clothing worn at a crime. Then we keep the clothing and stories in a safe storage space and then when it’s time, that’s when we set them up,” Ark said.
Ark said the What Were You Wearing Exhibit was inspired by a poem about a woman’s experience with dealing with sexual assault.
“It’s a poem [‘What I was Wearing’ by Mary Simmerling] about how Mary was expressing the fact that she had experienced sexual assault and everyone asks her what she was wearing and people didn’t ask what he was wearing or why the person did it,” Ark said. “It’s kind of this idea of helping to break this myth of what someone was wearing when they were assaulted.”
The What Were You Wearing Exhibit is not only for education and prevention, but it is also an outlet for survivors.
“It also give survivors a chance to tell their stories too. It’s not just for the Cocoon or for the Office of the Dean to show people and help break stereotypes, it’s also a way for survivors to speak out in a way that’s private, but still allows them to share what happens to them,” Ark said.
If someone is struggling with sexual assault or knows someone dealing with a sexual assault situation, call the Cocoon’s 24 hour hotline: 419-373-1730. Select option two for the hotline.
