The only rule: wear whatever the f--k you want.
The only rule: wear whatever the f--k you want.
F--kRapeCulture will meet at the bottom of Jeff Hill on Friday at 4 p.m. to march around problematic streets in order to raise awareness of rape culture and to list demands for the administration and police force, said Claire Chadwick, co-founder of F--kRapeCulture and a junior studying sociology and women and gender studies.
“Obviously we want all of our demands to be met,” Chadwick said. “We want to make sure this event is getting the word out on how rape culture not only affects our campus, but affects every aspect of our lives.”
There are three demands that F--kRapeCulture is making as it gathers on College Green after its march through town.
One goal is to persuade Ohio University administration to absorb the funding for OU’s Survivor Advocacy Program. This program is funded through a grant from the Office of Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. This grant will expire in October of 2015.
The group has asked the same of the administration previously at its rally in August.
Additionally, the group wants to promote working as a team with the Athens Police officers to offer training on being more sensitive with survivors of sexual abuse. While OUPD officers already go through this training process, the Athens Police Department does not, said Bekki Wyss, a senior studying English, former Post columnist and a member of F--kRapeCulture.
“We want to work with the Athens Police Department so that we have more training for police officers so they can make survivors feel as though they won’t feel shamed by reporting their assaults,” Wyss said.
F--kRapeCulture will also advocate that all students be required to take the “Not Anymore” online module, every year. This training is currently required to be taken by freshmen and is open to, but not mandatory for upperclassmen or transfer students.
“What seems like a very basic lesson, like looking for an enthusiastic ‘yes’ in sex, is a foreign concept to older students,” Wyss said. “[This concept] wasn’t part of our introduction to college the same way as it was for the freshman class.”
Most of the freshman class, however, didn’t see F--kRapeCulture’s homecoming rally last year — the event, which garnered more than 100 people, drew attention through spirited chants and vivid signs, with clothing optional.
“People can undress to their comfort level,” Chadwick said. “We want to send a very clear message that if you’re walking down the street naked, you’re still not asking for it.”
Chadwick said the march will go from Jeff Hill to Stewart Street, then Mill Street, Court Street and end with a rally at College Green.
Although she said OU isn’t unique in having a rape culture, she notes as a college with several bars on one street, the university has “a culture of using alcohol as a social lubricant to take advantage of people.”
Henry Kessler, senior and F--kRapeCulture member, said he agrees men and women alike shouldn’t sit back and pretend that these issues don’t exist.
“We need to realize that we shouldn’t teach these young girls what to do to not get raped — we need to teach boys to not sexually assault,” Kessler said. “The more awareness that is brought to the issue, the more we can stop rape … on campus.”
@rachel_hartwick
rh375113@ohio.edu
