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Photo Credit: inkyhack @ flickr
As allegations are surfacing of sexual harassment by a gallery artist at the Santora Arts Building at the Grrl Fair last month, the issue of women and sexual violence is being brought to light in The OC. Details are unclear at this point due to the sensitive nature of the incidents and reports that one of the victims is a minor.
The month of April happens to be Sexual Assault Awareness Month in the United States. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network), every 2 minutes someone is sexually assaulted in the United States.
Tomorrow, Orange County residents will have the chance to speak out and raise awareness about sexual violence against women.
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes International will have an event at Cal State Fullerton on April 26. The organization hosts events across the country where men literally put themselves in the shoes of women to spread a message of empathy for women who have experienced sexual violence. Planned marches take place where men wear heels to attract attention to a much taboo subject for both men and women.
According to its website, tens of thousands of men raise millions of dollars for local rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters and other sexualized violence education, prevention and remediation programs.
The event aims to not only educate but also show appreciation for the plight of women in society. The website states that the march playfully contextualizes the existential experience of walking in women’s high-heeled shoes. It also leverages the power of stereotype and the “taken for granted” into powerful experiences that can startle given the “simplicity” of these actions, according to the organization’s website.
Registration starts at 11:30am on Tuesday April 26th in the Quad area at Cal State Fullerton, 800 N. State College Blvd
See a list of other Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Events here
For services related to sexual assault in Orange County, visit the Sexual Assault Victim Services (Santa Ana) website
Amber, the Artists of the Santora love women and girls. & by that, I mean that most of us treat them with perfect respect. Gustavo and Gabriel refuse to interview the artists that the choose to smear. I don’t know Gabriel’s intentions, but Gustavo’s are highly suspect. Will you please come down and talk to us? Are you a Girl Fair member or a supporter? If not, that works. If you are, then that should work even better. None of this should have gone down the way it did. Those that care about women and men and community should be supportive of such an idea. What do you think? I am the one that suggested to Gustavo to consider the implications of a very complicated story. I did not tell him not to do write one like he is suggesting. I was not protecting a guilty person, I was protecting the truth from being distorted the way I suspected it would be. I like Vern’s writing. I would not mind if he joined you. Thanks.
Amber, are you available Thursday, Friday, or Saturday evening? This is not an attempt for a “date”. We have serious work to do. The enemies of the Village are surrounding the hills, licking their paws and preparing to pounce again. This is still about women. I promise . We have many noble ones. Come meet them.
double indemnity,
I attended the Grrl Fair for the majority of the duration of the event and I had no idea of this happening when I was there, still trying to wrap my head around it. There are going to be different angles reporting what happened and the actions of others afterward but until there is some evidence of a cover up (which OCW is hinting that they have), I would want to write about the issue at hand. The fact of the matter are allegations of sexual assault against women, and more poignantly, at an event that is supposed to be empowering women. I’ll most likely be at the protest on 5/7, that might be an appropriate place to discuss the other issues surrounding what happened at the event.
Are you kidding me? That sounds as though you are continuing the cover up? OCW and Girlfair are covering up what the Santora Guild was doing or trying to do. You can not possibly be serious about wanting to wait until that protest. Amber I am responsible for this. Gustavo is responsible for this. Gabriel is responsible for this. And now you are responsible for this. I hope that every step you make is completely scrutinized just as ours was. However, I do truly wish that you have better luck fending off vicious, prejudiced, opportunistic spin! I am right here with you though. Woman up!
Please show me your empowerment Amber. This is the age of equality.
Amber, I am going to give you some info that I have not seen publicized anywhere. I have a lot more though. The rumor is. I am going to just say “rumor” here, because I really don’t know jack about protecting myself from lawsuits. The rumor that I have heard is that tenants once tried to kick this accused person out of the building. He resorted to physical public protest, and threats of lawsuits and he got the police and landlord involved. Basically he threatened bad press on everyone.
Does any of this sound familiar? Think about it. It is no accident that this man and the Girlfair found each other. They were destined to be with each other like Sid and Nancy, or help me out. Can you think of any other notorious public relationships. The trouble is that they are both obsessed with bringing down our building and I am starting to get pissed! Oh yeah. Gustavo is also obsessed with bringing down our building. How do you spell it? Menage et Troi? I am late for work.
As to not distract from the original point of this post, if you have any more concerns and would like to continue a respectful discussion, please feel free to e-mail me at amber.stephens@gmail.com
You talk a big talk — but why hide behind the pseudonym? What kind of jerezano are you?
Double identity, oops, I mean double indemnity is getting quite conspiratorial. Grrl Fair isn’t trying to bring down the Santora. Nor did Gustavo’s article imply that all artists in the village were involved in a cover up.
All the talk about ‘enemies of the village’ and ‘Sid and Nancy’ silly speak do lend credence to that ‘slice of paradise’ notion, however.
Hello Gustavo. Hello Gabriel. I am going to write Amber and do my best to respectfully ask her to help us tell our story. Have a good day. See you at Crosby’s sometime Gustavo. Hope I don’t get pitchforked on the way there. I still like that idea of burning a Judas effigy in the Promenade. hee hee. or je je?
P.S. It is no paradise Gabriel. It is purgatory.
P.P.S. That name was inspired by Gustavo. It is Film Noir. Just like Chinatown, just like Santa Ana. awww.