Have you ever been called a slut because of an outfit you wore, or called a tease because of the way you "flirted"? What about being told you were "asking" to be touched because of how you danced? Your answer to this question should be no, but there's a good chance it's actually "yes."
Wesleyan University sophomore Sally Rappaport is adding a new set of voices to the fight against victim blaming with Project "Not Asking For It."
Galvanized by the SlutWalk that started in Toronto in 2011, Rappaport encouraged classmates to film or photograph themselves wearing anything they wanted to reinforce that there is absolutely no excuse for harassment, assault, or unwanted commentary.
"Victim blaming is far too common," Rappaport told Bustle. "I just have so many friends that have been victims of [sexual assault] and the excuse that the perpetrators use, such as 'Well, you were wearing a bikini so that's why I slapped your butt. You were pretty much asking for it.' It's like, OK but maybe we were at a pool party."
Rappaport's video inspired a slew of other colleges and universities to follow suit with their own videos. Currently, the list includes Columbia University (above), Stanford University, Georgetown University, Vassar College and Connecticut College, while the Claremont Colleges are in the process of joining in as well. Seven additional schools including Rhode Island School of Design, George Washington University, New York University, the University of Kansas, Brown University, Yale University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison are poised to take part this fall.
"I'm now starting to think about how I want to expand the project," Rappaport told Bustle. "I want to focus more on enthusiastic consent, cat calling, grinding at parties."
Visit the Project's Facebook page for more information, and check out #notaskingforit on Twitter to join the conversation.
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