Clothesline helps heal survivors of violence

By Marcelle Richards
DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF
[email protected]

Starting today, decorated shirts will hang at Schoenberg Quad to
commemorate victims of gender and sexual violence, many of them
students and members of UCLA.

The palette of color-coded messages ““ which will be up
from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Thursday ““ aims to raise
awareness, help survivors heal and remember those who did not
survive.

Blue and green shirts stand for a survivor of incest or child
abuse; red, orange or pink for rape; black for sexual harassment.
Survivors of multiple types of abuse decorate multi-colored
shirts.

The line may be spotted with an occasional white shirt ““ a
memorial to someone who was murdered or committed suicide as a
result of sexual violence.

In years past, the shirts have featured phrases or symbols
depicting the feelings of victims, like “si te quieres a ti
mismo puedes salir a delante en tu vida” ““ “if
you love yourself, you will succeed in life.”

The project was established in 1990 by Cape Cod Women’s
Agenda in Hyannis, Mass. and has since become a national annual
event. The project, which made its first appearance at UCLA in
1998, is run by a team of students.

Students, staff and faculty can make a shirt at the Center for
Women and Men or the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource
Center.

The project is part of Women for Change week; it includes other
events that focus on sexual abuse, women in academia, perceptions
of feminism and related topics.

The Clothesline Project vigil, called “Take Back the
Night,” will begin Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in Bruin Plaza, and
will feature speakers and musicians.

Visit the Center for Women and Men at 2 Dodd Hall or the LGBT
Resource Center at 220 Kinsey Hall. Contact the Clothesline Project
at 825-7041.