SGA brings SAPA to general meeting to combat sexual assault
Sexual Agression Peer Advocates members Myata Bryant, left, and Josh Taylor, right, present society's take on labels and how women are represented as objects on Feb. 23, 2015 in Anspach Hall.
Taking the stage at Monday's Student Government Association meeting, Sexual Aggression Peer Advocates member Joshua Taylor drew a square on the whiteboard.
Above it, the Detroit senior wrote “MEN,” and turning to the audience, asked them to describe the perfect ideal man according to society. Then, he asked the room to describe the perfect ideal woman.
The answers ranged from “tall” and “handsome” for men and “educated, but not too smart,” and “big boobs, but skinny,” for women.
Taylor then pointed out to the members of the House and Senate how the societal standards imposed on women are often contradictory.
“It makes you take a serious look as to how society is when it comes to gender roles,” he said. “There are a lot of double standards.”
SAPA was asked to speak to SGA as a push to have student leaders educate representatives about the sexual harassment and societal standards which affect the student body.
SGA President Chuck Mahone said the information learned through the program was meant to be taken and then applied by House and Senate members within their registered student organizations.
“The purpose (of the SAPA presentation) is for you to go back to your organizations and share this knowledge with them,” Mahone said. “You’re here learning about this because it affects our student body as a whole. You’re here to represent our student body.”
Taylor and fellow presentation partner, SAPA member Myata Bryant, went on to speak of the double standards that affected men and women in regard to sexual activity.
They discussed connotations carried when sexually active men were referred to as “players,” but sexually active women were referred to as “sluts."
The presentation concluded with Taylor and Bryant driving home the underlying message behind calling women derogatory and dehumanizing slur words.
They used a chair as an example.
“A chair is designed for you to sit in and we think of it as a chair, so that affects the way we act towards it,” Taylor said. “If we’re in a society where people in general are calling women that don’t fit inside that ‘perfect box’ a slut – these are all objects. If you call women objects, receptacles (for sexual intercourse) then why would you ask for their consent?”
Bryant emphasized the troubling prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses, stressing that students should consider the implications of sexist behavior.
“(We) just want people to know that when women are dehumanized and viewed as objects as opposed to as people that creates something very dangerous in society,” Bryant said. “Sexual assault is a thing that happens and it’s prevalent. We’re just trying to raise awareness for that and to allow people to think before they act.”
Students in need of SAPA related services, such as their sexual aggression services or crisis hotline, are urged to call (989) 774-2255 in cases of emergency. SAPA can also be reached by email at sapa@cmich.edu.
