Story by Whitney Barton
Photos as noted
UO junior Whitney Taylor has started a photo blog to raise awareness about an issue not often openly discussed. For the month of April, Taylor, a sexual assault survivor, began posting a photo a day on her blog to spread information about sexual assault prevention and to let survivors know that they’re not alone. Usually devoted to nature photography, Taylor found the change in topic both challenging and rewarding. She sat down with Ethos to discuss why she believes that in educating people about the issue the world will see an end to what she calls the “sexual assault epidemic.”
Whitney Barton: How did you get the idea to start a photo blog? Why a photo blog?
Whitney Taylor: My photography blog didn’t start as a sexual assault awareness blog. I’ve always been really into photography, and when my computer crashed for the third time, I decided I needed to get my photos online. Once I began posting a picture every day, I found the amazing #project365 community on Twitter, which is how it really took off. I knew that April was Sexual Assault Awareness Month, but I hadn’t really thought about dedicating my blog to it until a few days before April. It was a pretty spontaneous idea.
WB: Do you have a goal with your blog?
WT: I didn’t have any concrete goals when I started, but now I’d say it’s just to raise awareness and get conversations started wherever I can. My blog views have been noticeably higher than usual. The average views per day jumped from around forty to 116 per day, but my comments have been much less frequent. I think that’s an interesting point to make because even though more people are reading about it, no one really knows what to say. However, all the comments I’ve had have been extremely supportive.
WB: Do have any future goals for this project? Will it remain up after April?
WT: I just want to get people talking about sexual assault. Working to end sexual violence is definitely in my future, but I’m not going to continue with this theme after April; however, I do want to try to get my pictures to someone who will use them for awareness projects. Once April is over, I’ll just continue with my Project 365 as usual.
WB: Why do you think people know so little about sexual assault?
WT: I think people know sexual assault happens, but it’s too scary to think about in-depth. There are a lot of statistics out there about sexual assault, and they can be pretty overwhelming. There are also so many myths around sexual assault that most people don’t think that things like date rape are real. Not very many people want to admit that it’s happened to them or their friends. I think that it’s one of those topics that is so common but is so taboo to talk about, no one wants to bring it up.
WB: What do you want people to know about sexual assault?
WT: I want people to know that sexual assault is real, and it affects more people than you know. There are a lot of myths out there, and I want people to know the truth! People should know that being drunk doesn’t replace giving consent. I think it’s also important that people know that sexual assault is not about sex; it’s about power. I want people to know that this is an epidemic that can stop if people just start talking about it and learning the truth.
WB: Why do you think it’s important to be a part of increasing sexual assault awareness?
WT: It’s important because it needs to stop. People need to stop committing the crime, and I don’t know how anyone can argue with that. People don’t argue about teaching that it’s wrong to steal or murder. The lessons are never: don’t get your things stolen or don’t get murdered. They never say that people were asking for it because they were dressed a certain way, drunk, or asleep. They never say it’s okay to steal from or murder your significant other because he/she are your significant other. It’s important to stop this thought process and treat sexual assault like the crime it is.
WB: What’s been the response to your blog so far?
WT: The response has been mostly positive so far! I was really surprised, actually. I expected my blog views to completely drop off because of the heavy topic, but it’s been the complete opposite. The readers who comment regularly have been so supportive. Some other readers will chime in once in a while to tell me my topic is a little too heavy for them to comment on, but they say they’re keeping up.
WB: What has been the most rewarding aspect of your blog since you started your April sexual assault theme? The most unexpected?
WT: My grandfather sent me an email about how my blog has made him think about the epidemic, and how he wants to do something about it. That was one of the most unexpected experiences throughout this theme. It’s amazing also when people, either friends of mine or strangers, feel comfortable sharing their stories with me because of my work.
WB: How do you decide what photos to take and links to provide?
WT: Well, I started with a rough plan. I have a few photo ideas that I still want to do, but most days, the photos are spontaneous. One day, I went around with clocks, asking people to take pictures with them to say that it was time to take a stand against sexual abuse. I did that because it was the “Day of Action” for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. I had no idea until that morning. I made clocks at seven in the morning and didn’t get home until about six that night.
This blog has been pretty time-consuming but completely worth it. My photos are usually inspired by a certain story, experience, or something I’ve read. I spend a lot of time on Twitter searching for different hashtags such as #SAAM, #VAM, or #rapeisrape. Those usually have different blogs, quotes, and articles about sexual assault. That’s how I find most of my links.
WB: What advice would you give to someone looking to start a photo blog?
WT: Do it! Tag your posts, get on Twitter, and find people who blog about things you’re interested in. Stay involved and don’t give up! Blogging is one of my favorite things now, and I have met a lot of amazing people around the country and around the world.
Read the blogs of people who comment on your blog and comment back. Set up a blog reader to make staying on top of it easier and don’t get discouraged. Challenge yourself to stay on top of it if you have to. If you can’t handle a Project 365, try a Project 52!
WT: People can contribute to my blog in a lot of ways. I’d love to get pictures of people with clocks! I’d love to get photos or other artwork that people have about the topic. April is also National Poetry month, and I’d love to combine the two. I always need models, too!
People can contribute to the cause in general, as well. Listen to survivors and believe their stories. Don’t blame them and do stand up for them. Don’t let perpetrators think that they’ve done nothing wrong. Let them know what they did is not okay. Don’t pity survivors and don’t call them victims. I also recommend getting involved with campus groups and events. Get involved with the community, write your government officials, and speak out! I would say the same thing to survivors. Share your story, get help, and know that you’re not alone.
