By SJ Otto
Every year the Wichita Area
Sexual Assault
Center holds its Take Back the Night March.
This year was the 30 anniversary of this march. The crowd was not as big as it
was from some earlier marches, it was less than 1,000, but there was still an
enthusiastic crowd, Friday night, at the Exploration Place , of Wichita , KS .
A rally was held at Exploration Place and then the marchers
went down McLean Blvd.
At the lead of the rally was a band of Wichita West
High School band
students. At the rally, the students presented a check for a donation to the
Sexual Assault Center. Some students from Wichita North High School helped with the contribution.
At the rally there were several victims of sexual assault
speaking out, including Sarah, a victim who said she lost her job and some
friends after she was a rape victim.
"There were some angles," she said. "There
was a policeman, a victim rights coordinator, a Wichita psychologist."
There was a poet who called himself Popeye, who is a man who
was rapped by a woman. He said it is hard for other men to realize that a woman
can rape a man. Many don't men don't take it seriously.
" She's the reason I have no confidence when things go
south," he said.
Another man who was an assault victim called himself Mr. T. He
stressed the need for more volunteers to the Sexual Assault Center.
"Women have the right to get drunk pass out and even
sleep naked without sexual assault or rape," he said.
Kara was another poet. She is 20 and goes to Wichita State University .
"I was assaulted more than once," she said.
Brittney was another victim who said her first husband was a
sex addict and he insisted she give him what he wanted for 16 years whether she
wanted it or not.
"I learned to be silent," she said. I learned from
a therapist not to be silent."
One victim who did use her name is Chantel Plautz, who
operates Hope For The Soul Ministries. She survived a family where
stripping and pornography were considered normal. They also considered it
normal to sexually assault her as early as six years old. Her ministry stresses
turning to Christianity and Biblical spirituality.
All through the speeches several themes emerged:
"No means no. It is a full sentence."
"It is not your fault, if you are a victim of sexual
assault."
"Go from being a victim to a survivor."
"I deserve better than to be treated like this."
And finally no one has a right to another person's body. It
is not theirs to take advantage of.