Men in Heels March Around Courthouse

The clack and drag of high heels on inexperienced legs could be heard around the Tom Green County Courthouse Saturday morning, when circa 100 male and female students, advocates and survivors participated in the annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event hosted by the Rape Crisis Center.

Members of ASU fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha, the Rams football team and men from other local organizations strapped on stilettos, pumps and pink sparkly boots to march around the courthouse, several carrying signs bearing captions such as “Real Men Respect Women” and “Love Shouldn’t Hurt”.

Speaking on behalf of the Pikes, Mark Martinez described the fraternity as a social organization, whose ambition is make a positive impact on those they encounter. The fraternity aims to achieve this goal by means of respect, hard work, offering aid and remaining humble, he said.

“Unfortunately there are some disadvantages to this lifestyle that we live, this Greek lifestyle,” Martinez said from the courthouse steps. “Considering there’s so many of us scattered throughout the country, if one of us does something bad or makes an ill decision, automatically people are going to assume it’s all of us, and that’s certainly not true. This is one of the things we do to change that sentiment, change that idea.”

As he spoke, Martinez broke down, pausing briefly, overcome with emotions. “We come out here because we care about the community, we care about each and every one of you. We care about these victims who’ve gone through such a struggle in their lives.”

The story of one such struggle was heard Saturday, told by rape victim Brooks Hunter, whose virginity was stolen from her at the age of 16. Hunter said following the rape she went down a bad path and concealed her pain from others. It took a long time for her to recover, she said.

“I was a rape victim,” she addressed the crowd. “I use the word victim, because something traumatic happened to me. I went numb; I died inside, feeling alone with no one to turn to. Those who knew me had never known what I was going through because I put on a pretty good front. Although the wounds were healed, the flashbacks were still alive. The emotional pain would not go away. Many years ago, I did not know about the Rape Crisis Center and I wish I did.”

Hunter said she first learned of the center via a radio advertisement for volunteers and immediately signed up. She says that like herself, a good many may not be aware that the center exists, and she wants to be there to help others who have experienced the same.

For four years, Hunter struggled with the incident until the birth of her first daughter made her realize that she needed to stand up and fight back she said. “I don’t want her to get hurt and I don’t want anybody else to get hurt. That’s when I stopped going down that bad path. I’ve heard similar stories and it just hurts to know that there are so many out there. We hope that with this…awareness and everything people will speak out more. I feel better. It feels like a weight has been lifted off my chest just to be able to say I’m here, I’m alive and I’m surviving.”

The Rape Crisis Center has been hosting Walk a Mile in Her Shoes for approximately four years now, and the response from local organizations and student groups has been wonderful, Executive Director Karla Payne said.

“People kind of wonder why, but once we explain it they get it,” she said. “The Pikes and ASU have always been very receptive and want to participate and want to support, so that’s been a really good response. It’s just kind of a neat way to get the community involved in something kind of fun to talk about a bad topic or scary topic.”

Greg Hickey, Board President for the Rape Crisis Center, emphasized the importance of raising awareness, especially in west Texas, where touchy subjects are often under reported. 

“We live in a time where 230,000 people a year are sexually assaulted,” he said. “That breaks down to about two people every minute and it’s just as bad locally. In west Texas it’s a little more conservative. You don’t get a lot of media coverage about it, there’s not a whole lot of talk about and we feel like this kind of makes a statement.”

Hickey took part in the march Saturday, going about a half mile in a pair of pink pumps the center purchased just for the occasion some years back. “I don’t think I made it past the front of the registration table before I felt the stress kind of in the front of the feet, in the ball of the foot, you know,” he said. “[It felt] horrible”.

ASU senior and Rams football player Paul Mason shared a similar experience, but says he’ll gladly put them on again next year and walk for the cause.

“My experience—it was painful at first, but once you get used to it, you’ll do ok. My calves are sore right now, but I’m making it,” he said with a laugh. “I love this. It’s for a great cause and I’ve been here for the past three years, so I love it. I’ll be here till I’m not here anymore.”

Mason said what he loves about the walk is standing up for the victims and that the approach is a funny way for men to relate. “I feel like I can relate very well,” he laughed, still wearing his black suede heels. “I have more respect for women after wearing these things. I love women and I have the utmost respect for them.  

As they made their rounds, the men and women past the front of the courthouse lawn, where clotheslines strung with white T-shirts hung marked with different messages. The T-shirts are part of the Clothes On Project, which the center coupled with the walk this year for the first time. “Survivors and friends and family of survivors have decorated these T-shirts with different messages…about their experiences,” Payne explained, motioning to the shirts that blew on the breeze. “If they’ve healed or are healing from it, they also put that message on there, too. There’s some dark stuff, too, but these just give people an idea of what a survivor might have felt.”

Following the walk, hotdogs and drinks were served and the teams of walkers posed for photos as the day heated up.  Sending a message to other victims and survivors, Hunter said, “Be strong, be heard, be loud and have fun, because there’s still a life out there.”

The Rape Crisis Center has a 24-hour hotline open to any one that needs assistance. Those seeking help can call 658-8888 or 800-656-4673. The center also offers support groups and counseling services. More on the services provided may be found here.