S.L. ralliers reclaim the night

T-shirts hanging on a makeshift clothesline at Library Square creatively told the stories of numerous Utah women who fell victim to sexual violence in the past years, mostly perpetrated by someone they knew.

"Living well is the best revenge," read one T-shirt that was on display. Another was dedicated to the memory of Lori Kay Soares Hacking, who was "murdered and thrown away," it said. Several others revealed in writing the secrets that are often kept behind closed doors, allowing women to "break the social shame of what happened to them," said Take Back the Night event organizer Erin Currie.

Currie works at the University of Utah Women's Resource Center and said that not enough people believe that sexual violence is a real problem in Utah.

"We think it doesn't happen here because everyone is 'so nice,' but it does," she said.

Actually, she said, the number of reported incidents in Utah is far above the national average as Utah ranks 13th highest in the nation per capita. Statistically, one in three women can expect to be a victim of sexual violence in their lifetime, most of them before age 18.

"Rape in Utah is the only crime that continually increases" each year, said Babs De Lay, local realtor and a survivor of sexual violence. She said that she had no one to turn to during her ordeal of being molested as a child and commended organizations that seek to help victims today.

For the first time in Utah, the entire community was invited to participate in the nationally-recognized celebration, usually held on campus at the U. This year's focus was on providing allies for women in the fight against sexual assault and domestic violence and including more men in the discussion of such issues.

"The tragic effects of rape and sexual violence is not due simply to the actions of a few stranger criminals but largely due to friends and family members," said Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson. He said the responsibility of addressing the problem lies with everyone in the community.

"We have all got to stand united," he said.

Moises Prospero, a social worker, said society plays a big role in the acceptance of such crimes as rape.

"Men have to stop hiding behind those sexist norms in our society and become allies with women to be part of the solution rather than being the perpetrators," he said. Prospero called himself a "feminist" in the fight for social justice, saying that information needs to be more widespread within neighborhoods and communities.

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E-mail: wleonard@desnews.com