I recently read the article criticizing the “Walk a mile in her shoes” event held on campus this week. As I read this article, I felt that it was written by someone who jumped to conclusions too quickly. By this, I mean that, without actually attending the event or engaging with the participants, you can’t accurately describe the motivation behind putting this event on.

As a female sexual assault and rape victim (who never wears high heels), I am proud to go to a school where an event like this occurs, as well as the sexual assault awareness week also put on by a campus fraternity.  I am proud of these men for continuing to raise awareness about this topic.

I am not personally Greek, but I have been around the Greek system at UNI for almost my entire college career.  I have also attended this event two of the last three years.

These men, who while “clattering, whooping and hollering” have never doubted my experiences, have offered to take me to counseling and have been some of my best friends. I have never felt as safe as I do with these men, whether in private or in public.

Fraternity men get blamed for perpetrating sexual assault more than any other group on college campuses, yet they are the ones who educate their members about intervening when they sense something isn’t right in a situation.

They are fully aware that walking a literal mile in red high heels in no way sums up the experiences of a sexual assault victim nor any woman. It is to raise awareness of sexual assault and to let victims know they are there to support them.  There has never been the intention of “disrespecting or mocking” the LGBT* community.

While their “gimmicky” awareness may not be enough to end sexual assault, it is a way to spread awareness and they have my full support.

-Anonymous