What Were You Wearing Event

 I stopped by the What Were You Wearing exhibit today. I have never been to one but I have heard of the original I believe, the one that was a bigger museum with clothes such as above and horrific clothing such as baby onesies and children's clothes. I find this exhibit really interesting and quite sad. I have not been raped in my life and I am very fortunate for this, but I have experienced moments of harassment online. I know these instances are not quite the same but they have a similar feeling. Being harassed and given sexual comments from an anonymous stranger is just strange, especially due to the fact that online it was clear I was a child.

About the exhibit, I really liked the poem written by Mary Simmerling. One thing to note about all these clothes is that they're mostly just normal clothes, nothing is provocative about clothes besides the fact that what they accentuate and what people associate with them. Sure lingerie is meant to be attractive, but nothing is attractive about jeans and a T-shirt. It is just normal clothes. Women wear clothes due to many reasons, whether it be weather or situational or just cause of pure want. The fact that the question "what were you wearing" is even asked is just a way to victim blame and defend the abuser. How is it a woman's fault if a guy can't take no for an answer or he can't be respectful? The same can go for male victims as well, it is not their fault if their abuser cannot respect boundaries. Male victims I believe are very under represented. Some men treat it as a good sign that a guy "got some" or was liked at all. This is not the case. If it's nonconsensual then it is rape.

I liked going around and reading the takes from the displays, not out of happiness but of sympathy and curiosity. It is a sad fact that people cannot be taken at their word when rape is the context. I understand there are some cases where allegations are false, but the reality for many women is unfortunately the truth where it happened. These situations were just them wanting to have fun or have a normal day. I find the T-shirt and jeans so compelling because it was multiple instances of normal clothes in daily life. Nothing stood out about it, but three instances had people do something they thought was entitled to them. For power and sexual enjoyment.

I would probably attend one of these events again, to give others a voice and to understand their stories and reach towards a future where rape doesn't happen.