The organizers of yesterday’s protest should be ashamed of themselves, not because of the McCarthyite flavor of protesting a piece of writing (or really, protesting any piece of writing. I mean what the hell?) that isn’t objectively homophobic (from the article: ”Indeed, many of the lectures and workshops that they hosted this month were great successes. Academics and scientists addressed students about the details of gay history, more worldly students chose to attend sex-toy workshops, and the rainbow-colored arch of balloons over Low Library was a palpable indicator of the University’s commitment to tolerance.” Not exactly lifted from a James Dobson sermon, huh?), but because the article was advancing a viewpoint that’s defensible, even if it advanced it in a singularly tactless way. Moreover, it’s an opinion that the paper has published before.

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Take Back the Night is not what I would call a typical campus event because of the vast number of individuals who have experienced sexual violence or know someone who has experienced it. TBTN gives survivors and supporters an opportunity to actively challenge the silence that perpetuates notions that sexually based crimes like rape do not occur frequently.

1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men will be sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime. These stats are enough cause to speak openly about rape, incest, sexual abuse, and battery, which is what makes TBTN so powerful. What makes it important for events like TBTN to be held on campuses like Barnard/Columbia is that women in college are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted. I think we often forget or do not acknowledge how prevalent sexually based crimes on university campuses and in America in general.

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