My Dress Doesn't Mean Yes

The platform we have been addressing this semester in FCSE 3080 is “My dress doesn’t mean yes.” I think this picture is a perfect representation of that platform and it really stood out to me when I saw it. Just because a girl (or even a guy for that matter) may dress a certain way, does not give anyone the right to sexually assault them. Every single person has the right to dress and express himself or herself in whatever way they want. We should never point the finger and say “maybe if you were dressed differently you wouldn’t have gotten raped.” NO! We should never tell someone how to dress, rather we should be telling people not to rape. The blame is NEVER to be placed on the victim. The length of a skirt does not define women nor does it legalize sexual assault. We should be able to wear what we want to wear and not be in fear of being raped or sexually assaulted because of it. When it comes down to it the victim is always questioned, “What were you wearing?” or “Were you asking for it?” I found something recently that really struck me, it was a victim that was holding a poster that said, “Nobody asks what my rapist was wearing.” It definitely puts things into perspective.