Lately there has been change in the air at UTSA. Many people, specifically women, on campus have decided to combat the rape culture present both in our society and on campus. One group on campus, Change Rape Culture, partnered with Students United for Planned Parenthood, conducted a protest under the UTSA sombrilla this Wednesday afternoon in order to bring awareness to the movement and to the existence of rape culture.
The protest itself fought campus actions that silence victims and many other aspects of rape. This included signs that read “if you’re friends with rapists you are the enemy!” and “‘but you’re my girlfriend’“ that specifically pointed out issues with sexual assault among college-aged people. Hopefully, these messages will create a conversation about how so much more than just “no” means no and that rape apologists will no longer be tolerated at UTSA.
Unfortunately, not every student took these conclusions from the protest. Interestingly enough, some people took issue with a protest against sexual assault. They claimed that rape culture “doesn’t exist” and that the protest was unnecessary (coincidentally, it was mostly men who had these types of comments to share). However, many women and students on campus would beg to differ. It is young women, like myself, who are afraid to walk around campus at night. It is a woman like me who works at a nice retail store and always feels the need to be on the phone with my boyfriend walking to my car after a late shift. These fears do not come from an absence of rape culture.
While there will always be those against progress on campus, I am proud to be here in the middle of this revolution against sexual assault. I am very excited to see what the movement has to bring to UTSA next (and anxiously await my #ChangeRapeCulture shirt). Stay safe and aware, ‘Runners. Stay bothered, rape apologists.