CONTENT WARNING: This article contains references to sexual assault. Please proceed with caution.
Take Back the Night will be held in the Quad at 6 p.m. on Nov. 8. The event is to be held by the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (FMLA).
Take Back the Night is a national event that gathers people worldwide to stand against sexual violence in all forms. According to the official website, it got its start in Belgium in the 1970s, and since has spread globally, especially to college campuses.
The event will honor those who have been affected by domestic abuse and sexual assault. Survivors will have the chance to share their stories, and a candlelight vigil will be held as well as a march through campus.
The event not only acts as a platform for solidarity but also as a statement of advocacy.
“Feminism is trying to create equality and equity for all genders,” FMLA President Sasha Jantsch said. “By holding this event, it’s really just an advocacy for everyone to be free from gendered and sexualized violence.”
FMLA is holding this event to be inclusive for the entire community, including all genders. This is to create a safe environment on and beyond campus.
“We’re also holding it to empower those who have been affected by it, to take back their stories,” Jantsch said. “They are not a victim, they are a survivor.”
Jantsch noted how this event is healing and empowering for those affected by sexual violence.
“It lets others know that they’re not alone. We are fighting it together, and we are stronger together,” she said.
