Image from http://www.truthaboutrape.co.uk/4598.html
SACHA will be at Mohawk College on Wednesday, November 16th from 12-1pm in room A221A.
We’re going to be leading a participatory workshop on the lies that we are told about rape.
This workshop is presented by Mohawk’s School of Human Services and Mohawk’s Counselling Services.
Check out a PDF of the poster here.
The wind was mighty as were spirits at the thirtieth annual Take Back the Night in Hamilton!
photo by Audra Petrulis
Women-identified folks started arriving at Hamilton City Hall in the early evening to check out the over twenty-five community organizations, to chat about the work that they do and to get some amazing free give aways.
photo by Audra Petrulis
TBTN participants popped by the SACHA table to pick up information about what they can do to end sexual violence and some free buttons and patches.
Photo by Audra Petrulis
photo by Karen Madden
Both the glitter covered sign making table and the henna tattoo artists were busy all evening.
photo by Audra Petrulis
photo by Audra Petrulis
photo by Karen Madden
Kathryn Kimmins from Laugh Yourself Healthy lead the growing number of women in laughter yoga.
photo by Karen Madden
photo by Audra Petrulis
After the crowd was sufficiently warmed up and had had a hearty laugh, Hamilton’s Queen Cee sang while her incredible BE-You-tiful Girls Club surprised us with a dance with the whole crowd joining in for the last verse.
Photo by Karen Madden
As the sun was setting, Anne Marie from the YWCA got women warmed up for the march by leading participants in some energetic Zumba.
photo by Karen Madden
Then it was time for the TBTN Awards! Most inclusive display went tot the Hamilton District Labour Council with a shout out to the AIDS Network.
photo by Karen Madden
Mohawk College won the award for most women from an organization with huge shoutouts to the YWCA and WomanKind who both put lots of energy and spirit into TBTN this year.
photo by Karen Madden
The best sign shoutouts went to the Hamilton Katimavik group and Sylvia. The winner of the best sign was Amelia, who’s sign read:
“I Take Back the Night…
…Because I cannot take back the day on which I was raped;
…Because I cannot take back the time spent in court;
…Because I cannot take back the energy devoted to supporting myself (when my friends turned their backs);
I Take Back the Night because I cannot take back all the love I shared in 14 months in an abusive relationship!”
photo by SACHA
photo by Audra Petrulis
photo by Audra Petrulis
Once the giant puppets (created by Melanie Skene of Many Hands Art) and the samba squad (Rhythms of Resistance Toronto) were ready over one thousand five hundred women (as guessed by Hamilton Police) gathered behind the SACHA banner and headed out to the streets for the march.
photo by Karen Madden
photo by Karen Madden
photo by Karen Madden
photo by Audra Petrulis
photo by Karen Madden
As the march rounded the corner of James and King, the women marching saw the male allies on the sidelines cheering on the TBTN participants.
photo by Audra Petrulis
The marchers returned to City Hall to share some incredible food and watch some awesome fire spinning.
photo by Karen Madden
photo by Karen Madden
It was an amazing night full of strong empowered women identified folks. It felt special to be a part of it. Thanks to everyone who helped make the event happen – the TBTN committee, TBTN event volunteers, SACHA’s sewing volunteers, SACHA staff and our donors. I cannot wait for our thirty-first year of TBTN in Hamilton!
– erin
As promised! Here’s some more photos from this year’s Take Back the Night.
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Thanks to Karen Madden for taking the photos.
Finally!
Here are some photos of Take Back the Night taken by Audra Petrulis.
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If you have any photos or videos of Take Back the Night that you would like to share please send them to us!
We have lots more photos coming soon…
TBTN would not happen in Hamilton if it wasn’t for the excellent support of some totally amazing folks.
Thank you to Hamilton-Wentworth Elementary Teachers Federation and Public Service Alliance of Canada for providing the financial support that makes TBTN possible.
Thanks to the following businesses and organizations for helping us out with in-kind donations:
Carmen’s Banquet Centre
Cambridge Label
Bennett’s Apples & Cider
Boston Pizza
Domino’s Pizza (Main Street East)
Donut Diner
Fabricland (Upper James Street)
Facets Jewellery & Gifts
Food Not Bombs
Fortinos (Upper James Street)
Hammer City Roller Girls
Hilltop Printing
Home Depot (Ancaster)
Inform Hamilton
Lyn’s Linstead Market
McMaster University Student Health Education Centre
Queen Cee’s BE-You-Tiful Girl’s Club
Rankin’s Bar and Grill
Sobey’s (Ancaster)
United Trophy
Water Depot
Weil’s of Westdale Bakery
Looks like it is going to be cloudy and a bit chilly tomorrow night. SACHA’s resident meterologist has let us know that folks are forcasting ten or eleven degrees for tomorrow night.
If it does rain please remember that TBTN goes ahead rain or shine!
Kojo Damptey is working hard to speak out and take a stand against the violence that women too often face in Hamilton. Check out his song Broken Promises which supports the work of Interval House. Kojo was watching CHCH on Monday when Lenore from SACHA was on Square Off. Here is his response:
Take Back the Night has been a progressive force for women for 30 years. It exudes the struggles women have faced through out the years, struggles, which unfortunately continue to percolate, in our city and the world.
I was happy to see Lenore the director of SACHA speak about the event on Hamilton’s own CHCH program Square Off with Mark Hebscher, his female co host and a male news columnist from the Ottawa Citizen. The interview started with Lenore giving information about the night, once she was done the next question to be asked was ‘Why aren’t men allowed to march with the women?’.
I must say I was taken aback by the question. Lenore politely answered the gentlemen and told them if there were men that wanted to get involved with the festivities of the night they could attend the male allies event happening at The Sky Dragon. Both men were adamant to allow for men to join the March. While going back and forth with Lenore they managed to depict the misogynistic attitudes TBTN is trying to curb in our city. I must say while less overt in their attitudes, they refused to celebrate the achievements of TBTN, refused to ask questions pertaining to violence against women and most importantly how men can help STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN. Continue reading
We just picked up the TBTN t-shirts from the printer!
T-shirts are priced $15 to $20 sliding scale. More information about t-shirt pricing here.
Thanks to our wonderful t-shirt models – Denise from the YWCA, Hardeep, Lenore, Sita and Maria del Carmen.
Thanks to Hilltop Printing for help with printing.
Thanks Le Tigre for being awesome.
I couldn’t find a video of the song Tres Bien but love these lyrics:
Because they will try to convince us that we have arrived,
That we are already there, that it has happened.
Because we need to live in the place where we are truly alive, present, safe, and accounted for.
Because we refuse to allow our writing, songs, art, activism
And political histories to be suppressed or stolen.
Because we refuse to be embarassed about the mistakes
And faults and choose to move forward
Wit a political agenda bent on freedom of all.
Please read Margaret Shkimba’s extremely moving piece about TBTN in Monday’s Spectator.
If it happens to you, or someone you love, if you’ve seen the bruises and wiped away the tears, then you know it happens and you’re not so quick to dismiss the whispers or the rumours. Or the outright accusations. It happens. Every day. Somewhere near you. Not to every woman; but even one is too many.
