CASFV brings light to sexual assault with ‘What were you wearing?’ exhibit

The Center Against Sexual and Family Violence is kicking off Sexual Assault Awareness Month with their “What Were You Wearing?” exhibit, showcasing recreated outfits of real survivors.

The mission of this exhibit is to educate people on the misconception that clothing causes sexual assault.

"Some clients refuse to wear shorts anymore, or like, 'I don't want to expose parts of my body anymore,' and that's truly sad," said Sarah Silva, associate director of the center's sexual assault services.

Next to the outfits, are the stories shared anonymously by sexual assault victims.

"They are somewhat disturbing, right? They do kind of go into the details," she said.

Stories were shared by women and men -- including times from when they were young children.

"To see it in person really does almost bring me to tears sometimes to read their stories," said Silva. "The little girl behind me, she said that she just wanted to go back to watch her cartoons, and she wasn't sure what was happening. Like, that's so sad for me."

Their theme this year is "You Are Strong," which highlights the resilience of survivors, the power of community, and the importance of standing together to end sexual violence.