Bro, walk a mile in these louboutins

Last week, the men of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter at Gettysburg College each donned a pair of tall high heels before going out. No, it wasn’t for a dare or a tasteless party — instead, it was part of an effort to raise awareness about sexual assault on campus.

Clad in red and orange pumps and stilettos, the group of more than 100 men embarked on Walk a Mile, an event to spread vital information about the statistics concerning rape and harassment women face in college.

As the student-led Walk a Mile reminds us, an average of one in five women across America will experience the terror and trauma of sexual assault by the time they have graduated. Even IU is not immune to this threat, as demonstrated by the frequent reports of rape printed by the Indiana Daily Student and the knowledge that many rapes go unreported.

So the fact that a fraternity has taken an active stand against sexual assault in such a bold manner is fantastic news. Though it surely raised some eyebrows, we say, “Keep it up, boys.” The Editorial Board believes it is incredibly refreshing to see such a proactive, supportive stance taken by a fraternity. Our campus could definitely benefit from something similar.

Though many schools, including IU, support similar assault awareness events such as SlutWalk, their inclusion of more male-focused events like Walk a Mile would be especially important as they have the possibility to reach an even broader audience. By encouraging IU’s fraternities to participate in a hands-on learning experience rather than a “don’t rape” lecture, the message behind sexual
assault awareness might garner less eyerolls and actually stick.

Males encouraging sexual assault awareness in such a way is also beneficial because it highlights the dichotomous way in which we view it. In American culture, heterosexual rape is sometimes regarded merely as a “feminist” or a “woman’s” issue, while male-male rape is scoffed at or ridiculed.

Both of these issues are entirely problematic, as sexual assault is everyone’s problem, and it is never something to be taken lightly. The Editorial Board believes encouragement of male organization and participation in events such as Walk a Mile will dispel the harmful idea that rape is a predominantly female concern and that we must work together in order to make our communities aware and safe.

Though watching grown men try to hold their composure while traveling in heels for the first time is admittedly hilarious, it serves as a sobering reminder of the realities many women face right here on our campus.

After SAE’s roaring success with the Walk a Mile march, maybe we’ll see some of our own fraternity brothers careening down the sidewalks of Third Street in a pair of strappy slingbacks next spring.

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