“What Was I Wearing?” Exhibition Submission Page

A shirt in the background. In front of it are the words "What was I wearing?"

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The exhibition:

“What Was I Wearing?” (“¿Qué Traía Puesto?”) is an important and topical exhibition that invites the community to question harmful attitudes and reactions by sharing the stories of survivors and representing the outfits they were wearing at the time of the assault. The outfits displayed will be assembled based on descriptions given by survivors, or from clothes donated by the survivors themselves.

Our goal:

This exhibition aims to challenge the belief that the clothes a person wears determines how likely they are to be sexually assaulted. Too often, survivors are asked what they were wearing at the time of the assault, or other questions about the time, place or circumstances – suggesting that they are at fault for what happened to them. Sexual assault is never the survivor’s fault – instead, the blame should lie with the person who chose to harm them.

What is sexual assault?

SAFE’s definition of sexual assault is any forced, coerced, or unwanted sexual experience. It can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, or age.** Sexual assault doesn’t just happen between strangers. More often it happens between people who already know each other – intimate partners, acquaintances, coworkers, family members, and trusted friends.

Name or alias (This is to keep track of what you’ve shared with us. All stories will remain anonymous.)*
Age at the time of the assault (optional)
What would you like to share? (for example, about what happened, reactions from friends or family, the impact on your life, anything about yourself, or how you have healed). This will be displayed alongside the outfit. Please limit your response to 3 to 4 sentences, at most.
Would you like to donate your own clothes?
If your answer is YES, • You can donate the actual clothes you were wearing or a representation of them. • We won’t be able to return your donated clothes. • You will need to bring the clothes to us at the Resource Center at 1515 Grove Blvd. Austin TX, 78741. Instructions for bringing your clothes: 1. Put all your clothes with the name you used in your submission page. 2. Pack your outfit in a closed bag with a label “What was I wearing?” 3. Drop it at front desk. Please, do not leave your bag at the warehouse.
If you choose not to send your clothes, please provide a description of the outfit:
We will put together a representation of your outfit. We will do our best to replicate it, although it might not be exactly the same.
Would you like to review our representation of your outfit?
If YES, please provide an email address below so we can send you a photo of the outfit.
E-mail address (or cell phone number if you don’t have an email address.)
Permission*
By clicking submit, I confirm that I am 18 or older and give SAFE permission to display my story and share it in any future exhibitions of “What Was I Wearing?” (“¿Qué Traía Puesto?”) and related events.
I confirm.
How did you hear about this exhibition?
Have Questions or Need Help?
If you have any questions about the event, would like to withdraw your submission, or would like to volunteer in any way, you can contact us at whatwasiwearing@safeaustin.org. If you need support or resources related to your assault, you can speak with someone by contacting our confidential, 24-hour SAFEline: Call: 512.267.SAFE (7233) Text: 737.888.7233 Chat: safeaustin.org/chat
Phone
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