Vagina Monologues banner defaced
Nicole Fortuna
Issue date: 2/19/07 Section: News
Members of the Women's Center discovered their sponsored sign advertising for the upcoming performance of "Vagina Monologues" defiled as of Tuesday, Feb. 13. The bright pink banner displayed on the right hand side of Sykes Student Union was left damaged the word "vagina" was cut out of it.
According to Katie Jacob, president of the Women Center Club and one of the co-coordinators of the performance, "only that word was destroyed."
A similar incident of vandalism occurred last year as well; however, the banner was torn down and stomped on, according to Katie Tanner, another member of the Women's Center. Tanner said that this anti-V-Day campaign may be a result of the sentiments of those who not only are "uncomfortable with feminism," but will "take extreme measures to censor the Women's Center's freedom of speech."
Also last year, according to Jacob, a professor filed a complaint about another professor's hanging of an advertising sign for the play on the latter professor's bulletin board, which was located in Main Hall. This dispute was taken outside of the parameters of Main Hall and was further discussed with the University. The sign was removed according to Jacob.
Tanner says that any number of conveyed messages could have been the motive of the perpetrator(s). Some may deem this as a prank, according to Tanner, but she said, "This is going very far for a prank."
Jacob defined this act of vandalism as a "figurative rape" in that now the women are asked to begin "reclaiming their body parts,"
In addition to being an act of vandalism, Jacob said the incident was filed as a hate crime.
The sign was not only advertising the play, which will be performed on Feb. 23 and 24 in Emilie K. Asplundh Hall, but it stated information for those people are experiencing domestic abuse who want to seek help.
According to Jacob, if a person were abused and wanted to seek help, the only image that person would perceive would have been the defaced sign. This, she said, gives neither confidence nor reassurance to the victim.
According to Katie Jacob, president of the Women Center Club and one of the co-coordinators of the performance, "only that word was destroyed."
A similar incident of vandalism occurred last year as well; however, the banner was torn down and stomped on, according to Katie Tanner, another member of the Women's Center. Tanner said that this anti-V-Day campaign may be a result of the sentiments of those who not only are "uncomfortable with feminism," but will "take extreme measures to censor the Women's Center's freedom of speech."
Also last year, according to Jacob, a professor filed a complaint about another professor's hanging of an advertising sign for the play on the latter professor's bulletin board, which was located in Main Hall. This dispute was taken outside of the parameters of Main Hall and was further discussed with the University. The sign was removed according to Jacob.
Tanner says that any number of conveyed messages could have been the motive of the perpetrator(s). Some may deem this as a prank, according to Tanner, but she said, "This is going very far for a prank."
Jacob defined this act of vandalism as a "figurative rape" in that now the women are asked to begin "reclaiming their body parts,"
In addition to being an act of vandalism, Jacob said the incident was filed as a hate crime.
The sign was not only advertising the play, which will be performed on Feb. 23 and 24 in Emilie K. Asplundh Hall, but it stated information for those people are experiencing domestic abuse who want to seek help.
According to Jacob, if a person were abused and wanted to seek help, the only image that person would perceive would have been the defaced sign. This, she said, gives neither confidence nor reassurance to the victim.
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FichenDich
posted 2/20/07 @ 12:59 PM EST
I was reading the morning's email, and one of them referenced a different incident. I was so incredulous, I looked it up to see if it was true. Not only was it, but I also found this item as well. (Continued…)
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