Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

[Valerie Russo <>]

I wanted to respond and agree with Juliette about the program Sex
Signals. I have seen that program a few times and I am very bothered by
their message that rape is about miscommunication.  I have been doing
this work for 23 years and use humor when appropriate, but...there is
nothing entertaining or funny about rape or sexual violence. I agree
with the idea that we can have interactive workshops or a play about
these issues and not mock and reduce the issues to miscommunication.
While I am sure we all agree that communication is an issue in
relationships; however, the reality of non-stranger assaults are that
they are not about a miscommunication but rather more to do with power
and the choice of that offender to assault.

Valerie Russo, M.A. 
Director, Violence Prevention Programs
Resource Specialist/Senior Instructor of Health
Office of the Dean of Students
Teaching and Learning Center Suite 232
University of Idaho
Moscow, ID 83844-2431
Phone: 208-885-2956/ Fax: 208-885-9494

 
 
Message: 3
Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2007 11:46:45 -0500
From: Juliette Grimmett 
<>
Subject: RE: Red Zone
To: Sarah Holdwick 
<>
Cc: 

Message-ID: 
<>
Content-Type: text/plain;       charset=ISO-8859-1;     format="flowed"

I agree with and support everything you said Sarah.  Howeverm I just 
want to put my two cents in that I do not like the message of Sex 
Signals.  Their message to me minimizes the reality of non-stranger 
rape on campus-the reality is that they are intentional and planned and 
about power and control.  Sex Signals sends a message that rape and 
other forms of sexual violence are "just miscommunications," and sexual 
in nature and once again that the survivors of this violence can 
actually stop it if they don't send mixed messages.  It is also quite 
heterosexist and spends way to much time on "women are from mars, men 
are from venus" stuff.  I believe that there are much better and 
creative ways to still have a fun and interactive workshop or play 
about these issues taht students will connect with.

When I worked at the University of South Carolina in the sexual health 
and violence prevention office, a student group had paid for them to 
come without notifying our office (until the last minute).  USC 
students were so offended by the message of the program that almost all 
of them walked out.  Our office had been doing IPV programming for so 
long that the culture at USC was to know that this message was not 
right.


-- 
"Feminism is the radical notion that women are people"

Break the Silence, End Sexual Violence

Juliette Grimmett
Rape Prevention Education Coordinator
North Carolina State University
3120 Talley Student Center
Campus BOX 7306
Raleigh, NC 27695
Office: (919) 513-3232
Fax: (919) 515-1066
e-mail: 

http://www.ncsu.edu/womens_center

Campaign for a Safer Carolina
MPH Candidate 2007
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill