Daniel and Kristin had dated for two years. After Daniel slapped Kristin, she chose to end the relationship. Daniel became erratic, meeting her after class and calling her workplace incessantly. She was eventually forced to quit both her job and college to escape the abuse.
This story was just one of many, posted on wooden silhouettes, which detailed the tragedy and trauma of assault. These cutouts of women stood silently on the sidewalk below the Capitol steps Saturday. Just beyond these silhouettes' shadows were a few hundred men and women hoping to shine light on sexual assault, tell their stories of survival and prevent more silent, faceless victims.
The 19th annual \Take Back the Night"" rally and march sought not only to celebrate women but also to break the silence surrounding sexual abuse, said Angela Rose, emcee of the event and president of the Wisconsin chapter of the National Organization for Women.
""There's been a lot of efforts to increase dialogue, and I think the women who have taken the leadership roles have done such an amazing job,"" Rose said.
Breaking the silence differed at this rally than in past years. For the first time, a man participated in the speeches. Stephen Montagna, a member of Men Stopping Rape, spoke on the universal importance of recognizing and preventing violence against women.
""If we want to truly end violence we need to go the extra step, which means getting men to realize this is their cause too,"" Montagna said.
The issue's universal importance encompasses more than just crossing gender lines, according to Kelly Anderson, executive director of the Rape Crisis Center. It also involves both UW-Madison and the state Legislature.
""There's significance of the march's direction. We are going from where the laws are passed to the ground level on campus,"" Anderson said.
UW-Madison Dean of Students and keynote speaker Luoluo Hong urged women to fight what she believed night represents: the fear and silence surrounding sexual violence.
""[We] work to create a culture where rape is not acceptable ... victims of sexual violence are not the problem,"" Hong said.
Other speakers included Jen Burkel of the Rape Crisis Center and rape survivors who gave testimonies. Performers such as Dadawah, an African drum and dance company, also entertained the crowd.
As darkness began to fall on the Capitol, the marchers moved past the silent silhouettes, chanting their support for women as they moved down State Street. As they moved toward Library Mall, some with posters voicing support for women and others with small candles, women and men came together around Library Mall fountain to sing.
Commenting on the scene, Austin King, a member of Men Opposing Sexual Assault and District 8 alderman, said, ""It's fantastic. It really just is a show of community solidarity. Silence has surrounded the cause of sexual assault for so long and it's finally being challenged.""
