Sexual assault survivors' stories illustrated with clothes they were wearing
'Sexual assault or sexual harassment can happen to anyone, regardless of what they are wearing'
There is nothing special about any of the outfits on display in the UPEI faculty lounge — and that is one of main the points of the art exhibit by Our Turn UPEI called "What Were You Wearing?"
The outfits were put together based on accounts from sexual assault survivors.
"These are all outfits that people see every day, and people wear every day, and maybe you've worn yourself," said Paxton Louise Caseley, chair of the Our Turn UPEI chapter.
"So it's a lot easier to put yourself in their shoes and realize that what you're wearing really has nothing to do with sexual violence."
The group says the question — what were you wearing — is commonly heard when victims of sexual assault reported an incident.
Our Turn PEI says that places undeserved blame on the individual.
The first "What Were You Wearing?" survivor art installation was held at University of Arkansas in 2014.
Caseley said it was very powerful when she saw it online and she felt it was something she wanted to bring to the Island.
"You just have an image in your head and so for people to tell in their own words what they were actually wearing and then for you to actually see it, it's very powerful and it goes against any idea that you had," Caseley said.
So Our Turn UPEI invited survivors of sexual assault to share their stories anonymously.
That included details about what they had on when it happened.
Organizers used that information to recreate the outfits for the exhibit to be viewed alongside the victims accounts, which were left unedited.
Students had a chance to read the words and see the outfits represented.
"It was really moving, seeing their outfits ... those are my peers and that kind of stuff happened to them and reading the stories, it was really moving," Erin MacNeill said.
The survivor accounts are written in pages that viewers can hold as they walk around the room. Each narrative has a corresponding number that was attached to an outfit that was put together to reflect what they were wearing when it happened.
Other visitors wanted to encourage others to see what he described as a life-changing and eye-opening exhibit.
"If you even just look at the crowd in the hallway right now people are wearing the same clothes inside there," Keyshawn Bonamy said. "So it makes the thought or idea that sexual assault or sexual harassment can happen to anyone, regardless of what they are wearing."
Organizers say supporting survivors means listening and not jumping to conclusions.
They hope the exhibit helps at least a few of those victims heal.
"I'm grateful I'm able to help give them a platform, to take back some space, to take back their voice, and to regain some power, because that's so important, especially in your healing process, is being able to take back some control," Caseley said.
The group is hoping to keep the conversation going by lobbying the province to include special protections for students in upcoming sexual violence legislation.
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With files from Jessica Doria-Brown