"April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. These masks were made by survivors of rape, incest, domestic violence rape, and other forms of sexual assault. Some of the masks are divided in two: the creators show how they felt before and after the assault or how they felt on the inside and what face they wore on the outside. There's a written explanation with each one. People who view the masks, read the accompanying accounts, and realize they are not alone may find the courage to tell their own stories. Doing so can give them power over their lives again, although some of that trauma will always be with them.
"Many victims stay silent; they're ashamed to come forward. There is still such a stigma around the issue of sexual assault. They're afraid of the victim-blaming, of hearing questions like 'What were you wearing?' 'Why didn't you leave when everybody else left?' ' Why were you the only girl there?' 'How many drinks did you have?' 'Why did you wait so long to tell someone?' We want to get the message out that regardless of your character or behavior, no one deserves to be raped."
"Many victims stay silent; they're ashamed to come forward. There is still such a stigma around the issue of sexual assault. They're afraid of the victim-blaming, of hearing questions like 'What were you wearing?' 'Why didn't you leave when everybody else left?' ' Why were you the only girl there?' 'How many drinks did you have?' 'Why did you wait so long to tell someone?' We want to get the message out that regardless of your character or behavior, no one deserves to be raped."
FB page for the Memphis & Shelby County Domestic and Sexual Violence Council: http://www.facebook.com/pages/MemphisShelby-County-Domestic-and-Sexual-Violence-Council/494090767336199
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