Sexual assault survivors shouldn’t have to leave the hospital wearing a sheet

Credit: Shutterstock, FUSION

Sexual assault survivors are forced to endure indignity after indignity. After the trauma of the initial assault, victims must navigate invasive medical exams, and too often, poorly trained law enforcement and intense social judgement.

But there’s one indignity we don’t often hear about, and that’s what happens after survivors receive a forensic medical exam and are asked to hand over their clothing as evidence. What do they wear home from the hospital? If the facility doesn’t have a specialized sexual assault unit, it may not have clothing to provide—forcing them to leave in a hospital gown.

Thankfully, activist organizations are stepping up to right this wrong. One shining example is The Grateful Garment Project, a non-profit based in California dedicated exclusively to donating brand-new clothing to victims of sexual assault.

TheGratefulGarmentProject.com

Funded by donations, the organization coordinates with local county Sexual Assault Response Teams (SART) and hospital affiliated programs, which work to get the clothing into the hands of assault survivors. “Our hope is that these basic items will reduce further trauma and help restore dignity to victimized women, children, and men,” says the group’s founder, a Bay Area activist named Lisa Blanchard.

The group supplies underwear, bras, flip flops, sweatpants, and sweatshirts, plus toiletries and snacks. According to its website, the average wholesale cost of providing these items is about $50 per set of items, and from 2013 to 2014, the group distributed 14,371 items around the state of California.

So how do The Grateful Garment Project’s services play out in practice? Kim Walker is the SART Program Coordinator for Santa Clara County, California, which has had an ongoing partnership with the group for about five years. Walker explains that upon receiving a patient in the ER, her team of medical practitioners first examine her or him to make sure the victim is medically stable. They treat any immediate physical trauma and provide relevant medications to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections.

Then, with the patient’s permission, they’ll conduct the forensic component of the exam. They’ll collect evidence for a rape kit, which includes taking photos of physical trauma and swabbing for bodily fluids such as semen, blood, and sweat. And, in almost every instance, Walker says, they’ll collect some article of clothing. For obvious reasons, undergarments are the most common item they will typically ask to collect. Shoes can also be important, and sometimes outwear is taken, too. The items are then sent to a crime lab to test for DNA.

And that’s how assault survivors can wind up with nothing to wear home. “When patients come [to the hospital] they’re often still in the midst of trauma window. We try not to add to that trauma,” Walker says. She admits that even the medical exam can be traumatic, and then, by taking away their clothing, “we’re taking something else away from them, so we don’t want them to leave without that being replaced on some level.”

Most of the time a survivor’s clothing won’t be returned, because the lab will need to dissect it for evidence. Sometimes survivors lose an item of clothing with sentimental value, or if the survivor is from a low socioeconomic background, they may lose their only pair of jeans, explains Amy Edelstein, a director of the Staten Island, New York chapter of Safe Horizon, a large national victims’ advocacy group.

Safe Horizon offers clothing to survivors, too, and last year, a nurse specializing in sexual assault care launched a similar program at her medical center in Cleveland. But The Grateful Garment Project is the only group dedicating itself full-time to the cause.

Walker says that organizations like Blanchard’s are doing important work. Even if a facility has some supplies, The Grateful Garment Project can offer an immense boost. “This gives us so much more choice and range, which is important,” Walker says, “because we treat everyone from every single socioeconomic background. All sizes, men and women, queer and trans folks.”

One might think a patient could just call a family member or close friend to bring an extra change of clothes, but often, survivors are not yet ready to contact anyone or share that they’ve been assaulted, says Edelstein, who has spent years working with these patients.

And that’s why it’s so important that these facilities have clothing to offer survivors. “Sexual assault is a very horrific trauma. It’s about the loss of power and control and from one person to another,” Edelstein says. “When they give up their clothing, it’s another loss, another control they’re giving up. So something as simple as having new clothing that feels normal can add just a little bit of comfort to them.”

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Sexual assault survivors shouldn’t have to leave the hospital wearing a sheet

This judge’s words for a rape survivor show how all law enforcement should treat women

Citynews

We’ve seen way too often how members of the criminal justice system victim-blame sexual assault survivors, and often, re-traumatize them through the strenuous judicial process. In order for a victim to be “believed,” the burden of proof is often very high, and victims of sexual violence (mostly women) are forced to justify their every action on the day in question.

Luckily, one Canadian judge not only believes victims—he decided to speak up for them.

Justice Marvin Zuker of Toronto, Ontario, delivered a 179-page decision last Thursday, outlining the case of Mandi Gray, a doctoral student at Toronto’s York University, who said she was raped by fellow student and shortterm flame Mustafa Ururyar. Zuker ruled that, based on the evidence presented by the two people involved, Ururyar did in fact rape Gray. But his decision didn’t simply explain his ruling: It was a full-out condemnation of how rape victims are treated and what the very system he represents puts them through.

Toronto Star via Getty Images

Justice Zuker ruled in favor of rape survivor Mandi Gray (above).

“The myths of rape should be dispelled once and for all,” Zuker wrote in his decision, shared by the Guardian. “It doesn’t matter if the victim was drinking, out at night alone, sexually exploited, on a date with the perpetrator, or how the victim was dressed. No one asks to be raped.”

Gray and Ururyar had been casually dating before the night of the assault. From his telling, it was consensual; from hers, it was not. So often when there are no other eyewitnesses to provide additional testimony, the benefit of the doubt is given to the accused. But Zuker believed Gray when she said she had been assaulted.

“For much of our history the ‘good’ rape victim, the ‘credible’ rape victim has been a dead one,” Zuker wrote. “There are many misguided conceptions of what constitutes a ‘real’ rape or how a ‘real’ victim of sexual violence should behave (ie scream, struggle to the utmost and report immediately). No matter how sophisticated the law is, any allegation that derogates from the stereotype is likely to be approached with a degree of suspicion.”

It’s been nearly two months since Judge Aaron Persky of California handed down a jail sentence to Brock Turner, a former Stanford student convicted of raping an unidentified woman on campus. The six-month-long sentence was universally criticized for sending a message to both victims and perpetrators that rape convictions are not taken seriously—especially when the accused is a white male of privilege.

But unlike Zuker, who is being heralded for his feminist and frankly humanist stance, Persky’s ruling has led to serious repercussions. Multiple efforts to have him removed from the Santa Clara County bench forge on, with one petition started by a Miami nurse garnering more than one million signatures.

Despite receiving a ruling in her favor and being fortunate to have such a woke judge presiding over her case, Gray released a statement after the ruling to express her disgust over societal attitudes towards sexual assault. She wrote:

I am tired of people talking to me like I won some sort of rape lottery because the legal system did what it is supposed to.

My experience is regarded as a demonstration of progress in sexual assault cases in Canada. I am expected to feel good because a few people within the system believe me. If we are told to be grateful for receiving the bare minimum, and that we should simply allow for social institutions to further oppress us and violate our rights, I am incredibly concerned.

Accepting things simply as they are because “it could be worse” is the antithesis of progress.

In the statement, which she shared on her personal Facebook page, Gray went on to say that she recognizes the privilege afforded to her as a white, heterosexual, highly educated woman with knowledge of the legal system. She even recalled the way one detective on the case tried to talk her out of pressing charges because she had “implied consent” by drinking alcohol and going to Ururyar’s home. Luckily, she knew better.

Still, Gray doesn’t feel hopeful that her case will encourage other victims to come forward because of “the police and a lack of accountability within the courtroom.” In her statement, she calls on police to be removed altogether from sexual assault cases. She also called out Ururyar’s attorney with a laundry list of the ways she mistreated her and mishandled the case. In the meantime, Ururyar is being held until his sentencing on September 14th.

Despite the reported applause in the courtroom during Zuker’s decision, and the Toronto Star saying it “changed the landscape of sexual assault and the criminal justice system,” Gray’s points are more than valid. This was just one small step for humankind, and we have many more paces to go.

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This judge’s words for a rape survivor show how all law enforcement should treat women

Which states will slash the tampon tax next?

Elena Scotti/FUSION

Last week, in a monumental move, New York Governor Mario Cuomo officially axed the state’s “tampon tax”—the sales tax imposed on feminine hygiene products that women had been forced to pay since 1965. With the signing, New York became one of the first states to eliminate the sexist tariff since the cause gained political traction last year.

“This is a regressive tax on essential products that women have had to pay for far too long and lifting it is a matter of social and economic justice,” Cuomo said.

The controversy stems from the fact nearly every state with a sales tax—with the exception of Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New Jersey, and more recently, New York and Connecticut—list tampons, pads, and other menstrual products as “luxury goods” as opposed to “necessities.” Which, as any woman can tell you, is bullshit.

Even President Obama acknowledged this injustice, telling YouTube star Ingrid Nilsen in January: “I have no idea why states would tax these as luxury items. I suspect it’s because men were making the laws when those taxes were passed.”

So while the women of New York can now buy tampons tax-free—a move that Cuomo’s office estimates will save consumers a whopping $10 million a year—those of you in other states may be wondering when you, too, can buy your menstrual products without a side order of patriarchy. Which states are likely to overturn the tax next?

Since last summer, as calls for menstrual equality reach a fever pitch, lawmakers and activists across the country have galvanized to overturn the tax, with 15 states (and counting) presenting bills to change or eliminate sales tariffs on menstrual products. While bills have stalled or been voted down in some states, including Ohio and Utah, others are slowly forging ahead.

Connecticut, for example, recently slashed the tampon tax from its budget, which will take effect in 2018, and Illinois’s bill eliminating the tax awaits signature from the governor. California is also moving toward a ban. Meanwhile, a few weeks ago, a Florida woman filed a class-action lawsuit intended to repeal the tax—and refund millions of dollars to residents who have paid it.

I recently spoke with the lawmakers tirelessly leading the charge in three of these states to find out what they’re up against.

Illinois’ Success Story: Senator Melinda Bush

Senator Melinda Bush of Illinois is passionate about battling “the inequity women deal with throughout their entire lives.” In a phone interview, the Democratic lawmaker stressed that women make less money and “pay about 10% more for like items” over a lifetime—costs that add up, particularly for women who can “ill afford” such costs.

In her state, menstrual and incontinence products are taxed at the same rate as “luxury items” such as shampoo (no comment on whether soap should be considered a “luxury”), costing Illinoisans $14.7 million annually.

After some research, Bush got to work. “I went to most of the male legislators first and basically said, ‘Look, women have been paying a luxury tax on tampons, sanitary napkins and menstrual cups…I think it’s an unfair tax. Do you have any questions?’”

Working closely with the revenue department during a statewide budget battle, Bush was able to drum up bipartisan support to pass Senate Bill 2746 unanimously through the state’s General Assembly in April. On the day of the first big vote in the Senate, she handed out pink adhesive dots for her colleagues to don on their lapels in support of the legislation. She considers the efforts to remove the tax “the most fun legislation of the year.”

“I said men were going to have a period that day,” Bush joked.

Senate Bill 2746 now awaits the approval of Governor Bruce Rauner, who is expected to sign it into law soon, and strike down the 6.25% tax on menstrual products and adult diapers.

Ohio’s Uphill Climb: Rep. Greta Johnson

In Ohio, Rep. Greta Johnson has faced serious challenges in trying to pass House Bill 272, tampon tax legislation she sponsored and presented to the state’s House of Representatives in May. It is one of two such active bills in Ohio—legislative efforts joined by a class-action lawsuit filed in March that, similar to the suit filed in Florida, calls for the refund of some $66 million dollars to female consumers for costs associated with the “pink tax.”

According to the lawmaker, it’s not Ohioans fighting the efforts—she says the state’s women tell her “it’s about time”—it’s her peers, who oppose the woman-focused legislation.

Which, perhaps, should come as no surprise. Ohio’s state legislators are responsible for writing and passing the 17 anti-abortion and reproductive health provisions that have been signed by Governor John Kasich since he took office in 2010—provisions that arguably do not support women’s health. And the tampon tax is ultimately “a health issue.” Aside from one required hearing before the Ways and Means Committee, Johnson said, her bill has gone nowhere in the state’s “very heavily GOP-controlled State House.”

“When there’s food instability, there’s tampon instability. It’s not just a monthly period, it’s a monthly crisis for some women,” Johnson told me, adding that she feels “struck by having this front row seat to the systemic attack on women’s rights.”

And so, with her low-income Akron constituents in mind, the Democrat began drumming up support for a practical bill that, if enacted, would put money back in their pockets.

“When you’re talking about a woman who is trying to make it on her own, we already know she makes 77 cents on the dollar [compared to a man]—and that’s if she’s white. For that woman…paying for three boxes of tampons a month for her and her two daughters? That’s a lot of money over a lifetime.”

Because of the pushback from her fellow legislators, Johnson sees the civil suit as a window of opportunity that may allow Ohio’s women to see more timely justice. She’s staying optimistic— because, like Governor Kasich, she’s setting an example for two daughters of her own.

California’s Crossed Fingers: Assemblymember Cristina Garcia

California Assemblymember Cristina Garcia did not mince words when we spoke: “The monthly flow is not something we can ignore or wish away, trust me if we could, we would.” (Agree.)

When Garcia introduced a bill in March to eliminate the state’s tax on menstrual products—a tariff that costs women in the state $20 million annually—she was met with great enthusiasm from her colleagues, garnering 43 Republican and Democratic legislators as co-authors.

At the end of June, California’s state assembly approved Assembly Bill 1561, which now continues on to the Senate for review. Garcia told me the enthusiastic bipartisan support the legislation has received sends a clear message that California’s elected officials value and respect “all aspects of a woman’s health” in a state where 4.6 million women live in poverty. She is hopeful it will pass.

“Men and women from both sides of the aisle agree that our tax code needs to reflect the fact that it’s no longer okay to tax women for being born women or to shame us for our biology,” Garcia said. “The money from these taxes should remain in the hands of our mothers, our sisters, and our daughters—period.”

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Which states will slash the tampon tax next?

Why this trans woman dedicated her honorary doctorate to sex workers

BBC Three/YouTube

Paris Lees hasn’t had an easy life: Until 10 years ago, the British woman lived as a man, and an abusive childhood lead to years of sex work, starting as a young teen. But just seven years after graduating from college, and now proudly living as a woman, she returned to her alma mater to accept an honorary doctorate. And while she was there, she made an extra special dedication.

The University of Brighton graduate took the stage at the school’s graduation ceremony on Monday to accept her honor, donning the graduation robes worn by fellow doctorates. Lees shared the moving remarks she delivered at the ceremony on her personal Facebook, and they provided a unique glimpse at just how difficult it is growing up trans—and how sex work can actually be a way out for some people, as opposed to, as many see it, a negative path.

“Up until very recently trans people weren’t celebrated for anything—we were simply objects of ridicule, or data points in academic debates,” she told the audience. But now, as a trans rights activist and journalist, she’s gone from object of ridicule to a person of power.

In her speech, Lees explained how losing her grandmother a decade ago was the devastating turning point that lead her to fully embrace life as a woman. “One of the first times I went out in the day as myself I was wearing one of my grandma’s old summer dresses, which I had customized and made considerably shorter,” she said. “I wore it with trainers. Lily Allen was number one at the time with Smile. I didn’t feel much like smiling and I didn’t much feel like starting university as I was still grieving and trying to get to grips with my new life. But, another month later, I was living in Brighton.”

Up until then, though, she had struggled immensely. In a 2013 piece she wrote for the Guardian, Lees revealed that her family had difficulty accepting her gender identity, and she started trading sexual favors for money at age 14. By 16, she’d moved out of her father’s house and out on her own, where her life was consumed by drugs, partying, and sex work to get by. After getting caught trying to rob a client, Lees was sentenced to prison. Teenagers are often known for their single-mindedness, and Lees used this focus to make sure she left prison with a clear mind.

“I wanted to be educated, healthy, respected and, more importantly, a girl,” Lees wrote. “I made a pact to try my best. Life doesn’t end at 18.”

She would soon attend college at Brighton, and though she said it was still not easy to have a non-binary gender identity there, in her speech she thanked the university for its help. “I want to be clear that the university was wonderful—they offered me support, counseling and extensions on my course. I very nearly dropped out. When I finally graduated in 2009 I was both proud and amazed to find myself walking across this very stage.”

Back on the stage seven years later, she closed her remarks by dedicating her honorary doctorate to the profession and people who helped her, ultimately, survive.

“I do not wish to distract from this wonderful and happy moment but I feel compelled to dedicate this doctorate to a group of people who seldom enjoy public praise: Sex workers,” she said. “Quite the opposite. Sex work is part of my past now, but the truth is I would not have got my degree and forged the career I enjoy today without making some tough choices. I would like to use the prestige of this award to undo even just a tiny bit of the very great stigma sex workers still face.”

Tweet from @ParisLees

A majority of sex worker organizations in the UK favor decriminalization of sex work, as does Jeremy Corbyn, head of the country’s Labour party, and Amnesty International, Lees said. And a report released in June by a parliamentary committee calls for measures that will lead to decriminalization.

“As a first step, there has been universal agreement that elements of the present law are unsatisfactory,” Keither Vaz, chair of the committee, said in a statement at the time of the report’s release. “Treating soliciting as a criminal offence is having an adverse effect, and it is wrong that sex workers, who are predominantly women, should be penalised and stigmatised in this way. The criminalisation of sex workers should therefore end.”

Transgender people face similar struggles and stigma. Back in January of this year, members of another parliamentary committee urged fellow members to help improve life for the up to 650,000 people who are “gender incongruent to some degree,” the BBC reported at the time.

A formal report released on July 7th laid out ways the committee would like to create greater support for the transgender community. The committee asked that parliament amend the Equality Act of 2010—which established “gender reassignment” as a “protected characteristic” against discrimination—to include “gender identity” as a protected characteristic as well. They also call on the government to look into the “need to create a legal category for those people with a gender identity outside that which is binary and the full implications of this.”

While there is still a long way to go for full acceptance of non-binary people and sex workers, Lees is is a shining example of, as the influential campaign says, “it gets better.”

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Why this trans woman dedicated her honorary doctorate to sex workers

A courageous woman asked the internet if she was too fat for a bikini. Here’s what happened.

via Shutterstock

The internet can be a mean place for anyone, but if you’re an overweight woman—heck, even a regular-weight woman—it can be downright terrifying. Every day new stories pop up on social media of women being fat-shamed for regular life activities such as wearing shorts, going to the gym, dressing up for prom, and gasp! daring to take engagement photos.

Basically, the internet is the last place you want to go for body advice. And yet, on Tuesday, one brave woman did just that. She posted a thread on Reddit asking users: “I’m a UK size 16 woman wondering if wearing a bikini this summer is a good idea?”

She added, “I’m 5’5″ and fairly muscular but I still have cellulite on my thighs and I have a tummy. I’ll be going on holiday to Portugal soon and I’m feeling nervous about the whole thing.” #BeenThere

Before I could invent a time machine and stop this woman from committing internet suicide, the comments started rolled in. But rather than shame her, the women of Reddit swooped in and reminded her that the question doesn’t need to be asked in the first place.

In fact, the whole screw-the-haters, you-be-you theme was a common and glorious one.

As well as some much-needed words of encouragement:

These wonderful Reddit users were right—no one should have to feel scared to wear a swimsuit AT THE BEACH. Where it’s hot. And one goes to swim.

Yet, women still do.

From a young age, we’re sent the message that only a “beach-ready body” can actually pull off a bikini. Yet the models who represent “beach ready” are photoshopped into perfection. In fact, some brands even ask models to wear pushup bras under their bikini tops—CLEAVAGE!—which they then photoshop out in editing. Not to mention, too many strangers have no issue fat-shaming other strangers whose bodies they deem too offensive for their little eyeballs. All of which creates a hostile bikini environment for regular gals.

Remember just last week, when Playmate of the Year Dani Mathers fat-shamed a woman for being naked in a dressing room at the gym, telling her Snapchat fans, “If I can’t unsee this then you can’t either?”

Seriously, people—we need to stop labeling normal-looking bodies as offensive.

Thankfully, as the Reddit thread reveals, the tide may be turning, as more and more people fight back against fat shaming. Indeed, after her deeply insensitive post, Dani Mathers was suspended from her job and banned from her gym—while model Ashley Graham has proudly graced the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition and Aerie lingerie has axed all photoshopping. Even Nike has jumped on the bandwagon: The company’s new ad campaign features plus-size women in athletic wear—because, shocker, they work out too!

So if you are someone who is offended by a less-than-perfect body in a bikini, I have two words for you: Sit. Down.

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A courageous woman asked the internet if she was too fat for a bikini. Here’s what happened.

How To Flirt With New Emojis

There are so many new ways to ask your crush or significant other to Netflix and Chill with all the new iOS 9.1 emojis. They may seem innocent at first glance, but they are full of sexual innuendos perfect for flirting or sexting. Here’s a guide to 20 of the new frisky, teasing emojis to help you out:

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• Use the alembic emoji to let someone know that you can feel the chemistry between you. Don’t be afraid to talk nerdy when you talk dirty!

• Let your partner know that the mood has been set with the candle emoji. The candle is practically equivalent to rose petals– add it with a bathtub emoji. They’ll get the hint!

• This “hugging face” emoji is ready to grope the hell out of you. Kinda creepy, kinda endearing. Use with caution.

• The crab emoji is perfect for letting your partner know you have crabs, aka pubic lice, and that they should get tested. Yikes! Also, great for gals who are PMSing; let guys know you’re crabby and that now is NOT a good time.

• Turn up the heat! The thermometer emoji will almost instantly get Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” playing in your heads, and you will be taking off your clothes.

• Hah! As if the wind-blowing face emoji is supposed to be used for weather updates. No, we all know what it’s really meant for. Here’s a hint!

• Into freaky, kinky stuff? The chains emoji is here for you! Alternatively, it can be added to conversations about 2 Chainz for obvious reasons.

• The champagne bottle with the cork popping out: There has never been a more relevant emoji to depict an orgasm. Ever. Ta-da!

• Let your partner know you are digging into their Facebook past or personal history with the spy emoji. Or use the spy emoji to let them know that you want to see STD test results before Netflix and chill goes down.

• Hello, Netflix and chill, we introduce to you the popcorn emoji!

• The ultimate Netflix and chill emoji is the new couch and lamp emoji! Add it with a film or movie emoji and the popcorn emoji for the ultimate effect!

• The hot pepper emoji is great for letting someone know you think they’re hot or for showing your partner you what to spice things up!

• Know how to push all the right buttons? Use the control knobs emoji to let your crush know too!

• Let your partner know you have protection or to bring protection (from STDs and pregnancy) with the shield emoji! Safety first!

• Few things are as aptly named for sexual innuendos as the joystick. The joystick emoji can certainly take over the eggplant emoji’s role. C’mon, we all know the eggplant emoji is never used to signify you love a good vegan healthy meal.

• The hole emoji– where you insert the joystick emoji. Yep.

• Tell your partner to get tested for STDs and STIs with the biohazard emoji. Can be used to alongside our anonymous STD test notifier that sends texts or emails.

• The hot dog emoji is now the most fitting food emoji to represent a penis. So there’s that.

• The ultimate bow-chicka-wow-wow emoji of them all is the bed emoji! Add a simple “You + Me =” equation before it and you are set!

• The motor boat emoji is self-explanatory when used as a verb. Pair it with the hugging face emoji for hilarity… and to get your love of boobs across quickly.

The post How To Flirt With New Emojis appeared first on STD Exposed – Sexual Health Blog.

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How To Flirt With New Emojis

Giving blowjobs and loving it: A full-throated defense

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These artists gave homeless people in South Carolina cameras to document their lives and here’s what happened

Cool Cat by Donald Edwards

“The cameras are disposable but the people behind them are not,” explained Reverend Jason Williamson as he chatted with us via phone from his parish, the Anderson Mill Road Baptist Church, in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Williamson was discussing his Through Your Eyes photo project that recently put 100 disposable Fujifilm cameras into the hands of people living on the city streets, in local shelters or otherwise affected by homelessness.

Tasked with capturing “what matters most to them,” their images, some 700 of them currently on display at the Chapman Cultural Center through July, range from pics of a best friend, to a snow cone on a hot day, to a beloved teddy bear. Williamson, who was a corporate director of digital advertising for 10 years before becoming a pastor, hopes the project will humanize the area’s 600 homeless citizens, allowing viewers to see their passions, families, makeshift homes, and inner lives.

Trouble Free by Donald Edwards

"I took it for the simple fact that if he saw his own own picture, he’d have to stay out of trouble."

Beautiful Dress by Bobbie Nesbitt

“I love that white dress. It reminded me of when my sister got married.”

Williamson found inspiration in a similar project in the United Kingdom, a London coffee shop and community center called Cafe Art, where “homelessness, great art and coffee meet.” Each year the organization hosts a homeless-driven photography project called MyLondon, where citizen-artists capture and showcase their daily lives. A former student of photography who frequently employs the practice in his missionary work, Williamson was moved to replicate the London project in Spartanburg—a city of just over 37,000. After a grassroots marketing campaign at local gathering places and homeless shelters, he purchased and distributed the cameras with only one caveat: shoot what you see and what you love.

The Love is Good by Annette Barnett

“We had a prayer time out back at the mission one night and I came up with the idea for the photo. We are all family here. I don’t see colors or nationalities; we are all equal. And the love. The love is good.”

The Light of my Daughter by David Minch

“She’s my world. She’s everything. And she’s how I got through a dismal situation. She kept me going when I didn’t necessarily think I should.”

Moving In by Mildred Johnson

“I knew her from another shelter. I was going to help her get her clothes out and thought I’d take her picture first. I was excited to have a friend here, but I felt bad because she didn’t have a choice but to come to the shelter.”

Returning the cameras after five days of unfettered creativity, the photographers were enrolled into a contest—the winner to be announced July 29^th—and treated to a meal and participation gift.

According to Williamson, “Unlike any project before, the homeless of Spartanburg will have an integral hand in helping expose the issue of homelessness rather than merely being the problem that is trying to be solved.”

Young Lady by Darrell Hawkins

“I took this photo because I thought she was a nice young lady. I think it’s very cool. I want other people to know that they can take the same pictures, do something interesting."

“We wanted to give some encouragement and share hope with them,” he continued. “During the week we gave them a shirt that had the word ‘photographer’ on the back so that they could experience a different title other than just ‘homeless’. And they did experience the encouragement and the satisfaction that comes with creating art—something that both gives you a voice and that other people can look at and enjoy.”

Prayer Bear by Leslie Broome

I was trying to take pictures of things I see on a daily basis and I really value him. It was a gift. Prayer is a big part of my life. He has a button that says, ‘now I lay me down to sleep,’ when you push it. I know my prayers are being answered. Anything outside of God’s will isn’t going to work anyway.”

The over 700 submitted works were purposefully kept anonymous in order to be judged solely on color, composition, storytelling and subject matter, just like any photo competition. After narrowing down the entries to just 20 finalists, Williamson matched the winners with their photographers, and the community was invited to vote on their favorites.

The Struggle by Allen Johnson

“My friend was having a problem and was on the phone, I just happened to catch it. We’re here at the shelter, but it ain’t the end. We’re just going through it. We’ve got a purpose, you just have to go for it and it will come for you.”

“I wanted to put the camera in the hands of these people and really see what they thought. See what was important to them,” explained Williamson. Asked whether his pastoral work informs his love of photography, Williamson replied. “I think photography is definitely a form of worship. You take a picture of something [you love] and save it and memorialize it and appreciate those things. Seeing a photo, something from these people’s lives, I think it draws a level of compassion to that group that we might not necessarily know that much about.”

Our Freedom to be Homeless Fell Upon These Shoulders by Stephanie Farmer

“I have a lot of respect for older people and veterans. He and I spend time together and eat turkey neck bones. He’s got a creek outside his house that I like to spend time at. We have the freedoms today because of people like him. He didn’t have a choice but to be in the military and I respect his efforts and life.”

Doug by Rumchanh Prak

“He was sitting under a tree in the shade and I saw the light coming in from behind him. He was in a good posture. The pictures says that you can just relax and be free.”

As a result of this contest, he said, some photographers have gotten offers of employment, shelter, and financial assistance. In one special case, a grandmother was reunited with a grandson she had lost contact with.

Happy As I Can Be by Robert Aldridge

“I see her all the time and find her very interesting. I’ve spent time walking and talking with her. I want to know more about her. I want to know why she does the things she does and how she lives.”

“Through Our Eyes is bigger than a social experiment,” said Williamson. “It’s greater than an art piece. It’s more important than an outreach. This project is a lifeline.”

 

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These artists gave homeless people in South Carolina cameras to document their lives and here’s what happened