“What were you wearing?” is an all too common and familiar question asked of victim survivors of sexual assault and violence by family, friends, community members, law enforcement, attorneys, and more. This question is rooted in victim-blaming culture and the rape myth that victim survivors provoke perpetrators due to their behavior, whether that be how they dress, if they drank or consumed drugs, or if they go back to the individual’s apartment. The reality is nothing a victim survivor does invites sexual violence or assault.

Our What Were You Wearing? Survivor Art Installation seeks to dispel this myth by collecting stories from our Penn State community members of what they were wearing when they experienced sexual violence and assault. View the stories and outfit recreations on display in the HUB from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and change your perspective on the causes of rape, learning how to promote consent culture and support for victim survivors in our community.

This engagement is sponsored by UPUA, the Gender Equity Center, Center Safe, the Rock Ethics Institute, and the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.