Clothesline Project Helps Victims Speak Out

Rod O’Neal

Victims of sexual abuse of violence may often find it difficult to seek help or talk to others about their pain. RU’s Office of Substance Abuse and Sexual Assault Education along with peer educators BACCHUS recently hosted the Clothesline Project to help victims be heard.

The Clothesline Project was created in 1990 by the Cape Cod Women’s Agenda, Massachusetts. One of the four stated major goals of the project is to help with the healing process for those who have directly and personally been affected by violence against women.

“People think of sexual assault and sexual violence as a silent crime, something that happens in private and people don’t talk about,” said SASAE coordinator Lee Smith. “The Clothesline project was kind of a way for people to be able to express themselves.”

The shirts are color-coded to represent the types of sexual violence. For instance, a multi-colored shirt would describe a survivor of multiple types of violence while red, pink, or orange would mean the creator is a victim of date rape.

Bacchus also hosts a T-Shirt workshop for those that are nervous about participating in the project and would like support.

“I think that it can be a way for people to express what’s happened to them in a healthy safe environment where they can write whatever they want and express whatever they want about what they’ve gone through,” Smith said. “I think that it can be therapeutic.”

RU’s Clothesline Project was tied in with Virginia Tech’s project as well and their Take Back The Night March. RU hosted its own March earlier in the fall.

Resources:
Colors and Definitions:
White: "In memory" of a loved one who was murdered as a result of sexual/gender violence
Black: Survivors of sexual harassment
Red/pink/orange: Survivors of date rape and/or sexual assault
Purple/lavender: For those attacked based on sexual orientation
Blue/green: Survivors of incest/child sexual abuse
Gray: Survivors of gang rape
Yellow/beige: Survivors of dating/domestic violence
Brown: Survivors of ritual abuse; survivors of sexual hazing crimes
Multi-colored: Survivors of multi-types of violence

Substance Abuse and Sexual Assault Education:
http://www.radford.edu/~sasae/
831-5709

BACCHUS:
http://www.radford.edu/~sasae/BACCHUS.htm

Women’s Resource Center of New River Valley:
http://www.wrcnrv.org/index.html
639-1123

RU Police Dept:
http://www.radford.edu/~rupd-web/index.html
831-5500