JULY 13, 2012

I am reminded too often in this position that stereotypes around sexual assault still persist. Vulnerable populations are marginalized by perceptions that sexual assault doesn’t happen to them. Too many believe that rape and sexual abuse don’t happen in their community – not their campus, not their group, not their family, not their church. Yet with hundred of thousands of survivors of sexual violence living in Maryland, you and I know that it does happen in every community, across every class and race and gender.

The invisibility of these survivors enables the epidemic to continue. As service providers we must work especially hard to reach these populations such as male survivors. We have a responsibility not to let the stereotypes we were raised with cloud our committment to ending sexual violence in every community.

Sincerely,

Jennie Boden
Executive Director