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Rebeca Masis-Cubero
Dr. Parker
English 113: Feminist Perspectives
10 December 2016
The Clothesline Campaign
On November 8th, millions of Americans held a ballot in their hands and voted to elect
government representatives. However, this election was different. In 2016, millions of Americans
were willing to overlook the hateful words of a presidential candidate, one who has spoken
openly on national television about groping and assaulting women. The United States of America
was willing to elect someone who has a history of belittling and degrading women. Millions of
Americans were willing to overlook the allegations of assault against Donald Trump, his vulgar
and misogynistic comments, or his verbal attacks against women who simply asked him a
question. I believe that the election reveals that our society, ultimately, does not take every form
of assault seriously. Most people would say that sexual assault is heinous and should be
punished, and I agree. However, I believe that our society is ignorant to the devastating effects of
sexual assault on the life of a survivor, and ignorant to how frequently sexual assault actually
occurs. For instance, when swimmer Brock Turner was found raping an unconscious woman
behind a dumpster, he was arrested and convicted. Brock Turners father made a statement that
caused outrage throughout our nation, stating that It is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of
action. Of course, by 20 minutes of action, Dan Turner was referring to the brutalization of a
young woman, who would regain consciousness and discover that she had been violated behind a
dumpster. Brock Turner received a sentence of only three months, and he was released early for
good behavior. While there was outrage throughout the United States, his early release only

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reveals our societys deep seated biases and attitudes towards sexual assault. Both of these
examples clearly communicate to survivors that their voices dont matter. However, I believe that
giving survivors a voice is one of the most powerful weapons to fight these assaults in our
school. Hope College addresses sexual assault through Title IX, as well as several awareness and
advocacy campaigns. While there are many different approaches to raising awareness about
sexual assault on Hopes campus, one of the most memorable campaigns involves placing t-shirts
on clotheslines across campus.The clothesline project sheds light on three major issues about
sexual assault: it portrays how often sexual assault occurs, exposes biases about sex and
sexuality, and reflects unspoken cultural tensions and uneasiness regarding sexual assault.

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Using feminist and cultural studies approaches, I will demonstrate the significance of the
clothesline campaign, and what it tells us about our attitudes and responses to sexual assault.
According to the US Department of Justice, sexual assault is any type of sexual contact or
behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient, including sexual acts against
people who are unable to consent either due to age or lack of capacity. It wasnt until late in the
20th century that colleges and universities started addressing the issue of sexual assault on
campus (Gold and Villari 6). However, the lack of conversation surrounding this issue does not
mean that it did not occur. Approximately 11.7% of all students experience rape or sexual assault
through physical force, violence, or incapacitation, among all graduate and undergraduate
students (Cantor, Fisher, Chibnall, Townsend). Considering that approximately 1 out of every 10
students will be affected by sexual assault, I believe that more needs to be done.

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Some might argue that sexual assault awareness has increased on campus, and I agree.
However, I believe that there are still several factors preventing college campuses from
effectively educating and empowering students to fight against sexual assault. One of these
factors is the undercounting of sexual assault by colleges and universities. Studies have shown
that college reports of sexual assault increase by approximately 44% when schools are audited
for Clery Act violations (Cr Yang). Without an accurate representation of the number of sexual
assaults, especially when schools are deliberately concealing the impact of sexual assault, it is
easy to understand why students may not recognize how serious this issue is. An investigation by
the Center of Public Integrity in 2010 showed that colleges not only undercount sexual assault,
but often they neglect to take reports seriously. Students who were found responsible for sexual
assault were rarely punished; most perpetrators remained on campus, while victims often
dropped out (Harvard Journal of Law and Gender). A study published in 1987 found that 7.7% of
college aged men volunteered anonymously had engaged in or attempted forced sex (Koss 1987).
In more recent studies, the number of men admitting to these assaults increases to nearly 11%,
and most of them do not consider what they have done to be a crime (Thompson 2011). Projects
like the clothesline campaign attempt to address the attitudes and beliefs that perpetuate and
justify sexual assault. The clothesline campaign at Hope College specifically addresses sexual
assault, while the nationwide clothesline campaign addresses other issues that affect women,
including child abuse, and women attacked for their sexual orientation. I maintain that the
clothesline campaign, which is also commonly referred to as the shirts, is used to bring
awareness to sexual assault on Hopes campus specifically, instead of focusing on the broader
spectrum of issues that affect women, because of the tensions in our culture regarding this topic

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and the biases we have about sex and sexual activity.

One of the ways that the clothesline campaign reflects our societys attitudes and beliefs
about sexual assault is through demonstrating how often sexual assault occurs, portraying the

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pervasive effects of this issue. It is nearly impossible not to notice the clothesline of t-shirts. It
appears out of place, a significant contrast to the lighthearted, casual atmosphere of the locations
where they are placed, such as Phelps Dining Hall, Kollen Hall common areas, the Kletz, etc.
The locations are strategic: most students will find themselves in one, if not several of these
locations, throughout the week. Kollen Hall has a reputation for partying, which could be another
factor in choosing that location above other halls. In addition, many of the shirts display
shocking statistics, including one stating that 11.2% of graduate and undergraduate students will
be victims of rape or sexual assault during their college years. The clothesline has a powerful
visual effect that displays the prevalence of sexual assault. Using shirts, rather than posters,
demonstrates how many people have been impacted by sexual assault, since it can be implied
that each shirt represents a survivor and a piece of their story. Clothing is something that we use
to identify or recognize another person. What we wear can be seen as a means of self-expression,
or as a way of communicating what or with whom we identify. Shirts are intended to be worn,
and labeling each shirt with a story, a quote, or a statistic, makes impact of the words much more
powerful. The shirts are different colors, which might imply different backgrounds and unique
perspectives. Because of all the different colors that are displayed, it also suggests that sexual
assault is an issue that can affect anyone, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, church affiliation, etc. Thus, this campaign reflects the far reaching
consequences and the devastation that sexual assault causes.

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The clothesline campaign also reflects unspoken cultural tensions, which indicate our
societys apprehension towards honest conversation about sexual assault, including hearing and
accepting the stories of survivors. For instance, one of the shirts that was displayed says, My
body. My life. Not your decision. Sexual assault is a topic that is uncomfortable, both for those
who have been affected by this issue and those who havent. As children, we are taught from a
young age that our bodies are private and nobody is allowed to touch them. Of course, this is
something that we are taught for our own protection. As we grow older, we dread those awkward
conversations with our parents about sex and sexuality. In these conversations, parents will often
remind their children that they have the right to decide whether or not they want to engage in
sexual activity, but most parents dont teach their children not to abuse or assault others. Even

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though sexual assault and consensual sex are entirely different issues, because we associate one
with the other and we are uncomfortable addressing sex and sexuality, conversations about
sexual assault make us incredibly uneasy. The clothesline project reflects these cultural tensions
by silently prompting us to consider these issues without necessarily addressing them in
conversation. Even though our society teaches us these attitudes for our own protection as
children, these are issues we need to be willing to address. As a society, we assume that sexual
assault is motivated by a desire for sexual gratification. This is an incredibly damaging
misconception. The reality is that sexual assault is simply violence enacted in a sexual way. The
stigma that we have attached to sexual assault only creates more shame for the survivor, who did
not have a choice in the matter to begin with. The tensions surrounding this issue are evident, and
the clothesline campaign displays many of these tensions. Because we incorrectly associate the
sexual assault with sex, rather than violence and an exertion of power, we are inclined to ignore
this issue, unless it is literally in our faces. In addition, the shirts demonstrate how easy it is for
us to ignore an issue that is so prevalent, and how uncomfortable we are to face the reality of
sexual assault. The clothesline campaign creates tension and discomfort for many students and
faculty, especially shirts that contain stories of survivors or statistics about sexual assault that are
specific to our school. The reality is that if sexual assault is occurring on Hopes campus, both
perpetrators and survivors may be sitting with us in class. For some, it may be easier to blame the
victim than to accept that someone in their classroom is capable of sexual assault.

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In addition, the clothesline campaign exposes longstanding biases about sex and
sexuality, which indicate our misunderstanding of consent through quotes of survivors. One of
the shirts states, I asked for it? I was ten. This quote is incredibly powerful, as it challenges the
notion that survivors of sexual assault played a part in their victimization. Because of the Clery
Act, colleges and universities are required to notify the campus community of crimes in an effort
to improve safety on campus and inform the public. The public has been notified of six sexual

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assaults that have occurred on campus this semester. When the Hope College community was
notified of these assaults via email, it was also indicated that alcohol was involved in almost
every assault. While nearly everyone would agree that a person who is intoxicated should not be
behind a wheel, there is a double standard when it comes to sex and sexual activity. We
understand that a person who is intoxicated does not have the capacity to make decisions, so we
would never allow them to drive, but we question a survivor who had something to drink before
their assault. Ironically, if someone accused of sexual assault had been drinking or intoxicated
prior to the assault, it would serve to justify or minimize their behavior. Our culture is quicker to
justify the drunken actions of a rapist and blame it on the alcohol, than it is to advocate for the
survivor, whose choices are never an invitation to be violated.

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Evidently, there are many barriers that we must overcome before we are able to end
campus sexual assault. While it may seem that campaigns such as the clothesline campaign are
not necessarily making a difference, its visual impact is powerful and thought-provoking.
Educating students and creating awareness of this issue on campus may seem small, but they are
steps towards reducing the rate of assault and increasing the safety of students. We must continue
to fight for survivors, especially in a culture that continues to silence their voices and
experiences. The impact of educating and empowering students is much broader than a college
campus. Through prevention, education, awareness and open conversations, we can create a
ripple effect that will not only impact our generation, but every generation after us. In the words
of professor Patricia Martin, Failing to prevent rape and be responsive to college women who
are raped is unconscionable.

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Works Cited
Gold, Jodi, and Susan Villari. Just Sex: Students Rewrite the Rules on Sex, Violence, Activism,
and Equality. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000. Print.
Koss, Mary P. "Hidden, Unacknowledged, Acquaintance, and Date Rape: Looking Back, Looking
Forward." Psychology of Women Quarterly, vol. 35, no. 2, 2011., pp.
Krebs, C. P., Lindquist, C., Warner, T., Fisher, B., & Martin, S. (2007). The campus sexual
assault (CSA) study: Final report. Retrieved from the National Criminal Justice
Reference Service: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/221153.pdf
Oehme, Karen, Nat Stern, and Annelise Mennicke. "A Deficiency in Addressing Campus Sexual
Assault: The Lack of Women Law Enforcement Officers." Harvard Journal of Law &
Gender, vol. 38, no. 2, 2015., pp. 337.
Thompson, Martie P., et al. "A Prospective Mediational Model of Sexual Aggression among
College Men." Journal of Interpersonal Violence, vol. 26, no. 13, 2011., pp. 27162734doi:10.1177/0886260510388285.
Yung, CR. "Concealing Campus Sexual Assault: An Empirical Examination." PSYCHOLOGY
PUBLIC POLICY AND LAW, vol. 21, no. 1, 2015., pp. 1-9doi:10.1037/law0000037.