You probably noticed it, dozens of colorful shirts hanging on a clothesline in Schoenberg Quad, swaying in the wind. The display was seemingly reticent, but it’s message was bold and loud. In an effort to bring awareness of sexual and gender violence to UCLA, The Clothesline Project created this protest. The Line,  a three day event sponsored by the group, is meant to open up communication between victims of sexual violence and the community.

These shirts represent survivors, and victims of sexual crimes. Each color is a symbol of a  different act, and together the shirts showcase  the huge amount of people who are victims. The color key went as follows; red/pink represented survivors of rape/ and or sexual assualt, Yellow/beige represent survivors of dating/domestic violence, purple is for survivors of gender or sexuality-based sexual violence, brown is for survivors of ritual sexual abuse and survivors of sexual violence as a tool of war, gray is for survivors of gang rape, orange is for survivors of race/ethnicity based sexual assault, green is for survivors of incest or child sexual abuse, black is for survivors of sexual harrassment, white is to pay tribute to a loved one who was murdered or died as a result of sexual, domestic, or gender based violence, and multi-colored shirts are survivors of multiple forms of sexual violence. The shirts are cathartic for survivors who are able to express their personal messages with the public.  Their stories could include anything from, rape and  abuse, to incest, and hate crimes.

Each shirt is different, and displays a new set of emotions. For example, some shirts are explicit toward their abusers, some are gracious toward their families, some are in remembrance of a lost family member, and some are descriptive of the awful crimes victims endured. Some shirts included painted self portraits, images of tear drops, sad children, chains and haunting bedrooms. Some were hard to read, but out of respect to the victims it was necessary to give attention to each shirt. The purpose of this project is to give each person a safe place to express themselves. No matter what they are feeling ,they are able to put whatever they want on the shirt without judgement, or backlash from anyone.

The Line is meant to also showcase the astounding number of people at UCLA and in the community who have to deal with the shame, and agony that accompanies victims of sexual violence. More than anything this protest is a testiment to the survivors, but also students as it is a physical and visual display of each victim’s story. Because these crimes are so personal and private, they continue to go on with little prosecution. These people need to get their story recognized in order to impact the community, and create  change. From the faces of spectators reading each shirt it was clear that the protest was not only powerful but also sentimental. Some students were in shock, some were somber, and one even held back tear as she looked at a childsized shirt that read “Innocence Lost.” The crowd was eclectic, with everyone from a dapper professor with his briefcase, to a music student with his guitar,  to an elderly man walking his dogs stopping to read a shirt that said “Your names may not be known, but you are not forgotten.”

In all The Line is a reminder to all of us that sexual violence against all types of people is a daily occurance. Even a campus as amazing as ours, has students capable of committing these crimes. This protest shows us that sexual violence is prominent in the community and that the number of victims is continually growing. The only definite way to stop these acts is to band together and fight against these crimes, and to demand more sexual and gender violence awareness. If you or someone you know is dealing with sexual violence contact a friend, family member, professional, or the authorities. Please remember that help is out there, and there are resources to get you or anyone else out of any situation. CAPS at UCLA is a great place to start when looking for someone to talk to, or someplace to go. For more information on The Clothes Line Project at UCLA visit http://clotheslineproject.wordpress.com/ and nationally at http://www.clotheslineproject.org/.