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Listen to those harmed by sex.

Truth:

A plaque quoting Chanel Miller saying, "You took away my worth, my privacy, my energy, my time, my safety, my intimacy, my confidence, my own voice, until today."
A new plaque is installed outside the Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University. It intends to honor and recognize survivors of sexual assault.

Plaques are great, but listening takes a lot more than that. We’ll never understand what survivors go through until we truly listen. And I’m not talking about listening to facts in a courtroom so you can find a bad guy. I mean really listen, to the pain, the confusion, the desire, the complicatedness of it all. This is what it’s going to take to overcome the repeated and ongoing trauma sex brings on us.

What can I do to help alleviate the problem of sexual assault?

Listen deeply. Listen to survivors, and to yourself. Listen to what society (government, religion, your neighbor, your friend) says about sex.
For more ideas, visit PAVE (Promoting Awareness | Victim Empowerment).

Who is the Clayman Institute for Gender Research?

The Clayman Institute is a workgroup at Stanford University that does research and education about gender, and helps students get involved in gender studies.

By Kenneth

Kenneth is a graduate student at Wayne State University studying sociology. He is also the host/producer of The Unspeakable Vice Podcast and author of "Lessons Learned: Life-Altering Experiences of Incarceration."

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