Women share stories of abuse
Women and men told their stories through shirts, signs and tears Friday evening.
During the annual Take Back the Night event on Friday, T-shirts read, "I am a true survivor," "Words do cause harm," "I survived, I conquered," and other words of encouragement.
Through The Clothesline Project, this venue is a way for survivors to speak out against what has happened to them, said TBTN president and Capac grad student Erica Ray.
About 300 attendees in Pearce Hall listened to Mike Domitrz, a healthy dating and sexual assault expert, give the interactive presentation, "Can I Kiss You?"
Domitrz helped the audience understand the main reason people don't ask before acting in a relationship is because of fear of rejection and the unknown.
"Most people say they are afraid it will ruin moment, but they are afraid of the unknown," he said. "Yet, if you ask and it ruins moment, then you never had one to start with."
Domitrz said that body language is unreliable and people often misread intentions. But asking will never fail.
About 65 people marched afterward to Veteran's Memorial Library and listened to speakers who talked about issues of sexual violence.
Sterling Heights seniors Angela Pizzuti and Jamie Jakubowski are friends who attended the event together.
"Women are in denial at times about violence against them - I think I'm one of those people," Pizzuti said.
Jakubowski said she was inspired to speak publicly after attending TBTN last year.
"I had never been able to talk about it because I was only 5 years old when it happened, and I've been living with it for 18 years and it doesn't have to be rape to be wrong," said Jakubowski.
Midland junior Joseph Vercellino pleaded to women on his knees to forgive him as if he were the perpetrator. He spoke to the men asking them to look out for the women.
"It is important because it is our spot in the world to protect and our role as men to be able to stand up for people who may not be able to stand up for themselves," he said.
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