Orange County Rape Crisis Center plans events to raise awareness for Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Today, one in five women experience sexual assault or rape in their lifetime. The Orange County Rape Crisis Center has organized a series of events throughout April — Sexual Assault Awareness Month — to raise awareness for sexual violence and to create a safe space for survivors to share their stories.

Wear teal, support the campaign

Community members who want to participate can wear teal ribbons and clothes to bring awareness to sexual assault. Teal is the awareness ribbon color for sexual violence. 

Alyson Culin, interim executive director of the Orange County Rape Crisis Center, said ribbons can be found at most of the awareness events being held in April and anyone is welcome to stop by the OCRCC any time to pick one up. 

Chapel Hill Town Council member Nancy Oates said she would be happy to wear a teal ribbon and participate in the Sexual Assault Awareness campaign. 

Oates said all her life women have been blamed for sexual assault, and she appreciates the push in recent years to stop victim-blaming and encourage the “yes means yes” consent movement.

“It’s important as a town official that we have a presence in some of these causes that we believe in, and stopping sexual assault is something I believe in," she said. 

Shout Out! Against Sexual Violence

Culin said Shout Out! Against Sexual Violence will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Chapel Hill Public Library on April 21. She said the event is an opportunity for survivors and allies to share their experiences and feelings about sexual violence.

“Survivors can share their stories and allies can understand and witness these experiences,” Culin said.

She said the event will have plenty of artwork, stories, poetry, spoken word, music and dance and that all of these art forms will express survivors’ experiences.

Paint the Town Teal for Denim Day

Culin said Denim Day, April 27, is a national campaign where people wear jeans to protest rape culture and show support for survivors.

She said the tradition originated from a case in Italy where a judge overturned a rape conviction. The judge said the victim must have assisted the perpetrator because the victim was wearing tight jeans, and the perpetrator would not have been able to get those off by himself. Italian female parliament members wore tight jeans to protest the decision, and now their movement has grown outside of Italy.

“Locally, it’s a great opportunity for people to wear jeans, teal ribbons and say, ‘I’m supporting survivors and standing against rape culture,'” Culin said.

On Denim Day, the OCRCC will host the Teal Ribbon Banquet at Top of the Hill’s Back Bar from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Culin said OCRCC holds the banquet to thank volunteers and honor community members working to end sexual violence.

Events at The Station, Bowbarr and Moshi Moshi

The Station is hosting Not Your Grandma’s Bingo on Monday, where bingo card sales will benefit the OCRCC. 

Bowbarr is hosting the Sonic Temple Tamale Dance Party on April 30, where a portion of the proceeds will benefit the OCRCC.

Moshi Moshi will also host a workshop on myths and facts about hair on April 29, where proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the OCRCC. 

Manager Linda Vu said the workshop will address all kinds of misconceptions, like the idea that hair color is damaging. At the same time, the workshop will also address misconceptions about sexual assault — attendees are encouraged to wear teal in support of the Sexual Assault Awareness campaign.

“Sexual assault is a societal problem and should be treated as such by listening to people who have been directly affected,” Vu said in an email.

Vu said it’s important for survivors to share their experiences, but it’s also important for allies to attend conversations surrounding assault to learn something new.

city@dailytarheel.com