Skip to content

FRCC takes stand against sexual violence

Take Back the Night event in Longmont works to shatter the silence and stigma
20230420_1748052
Mary Jo Vasquez speaks during Take Back the Night on Thursday at the Front Range Community College Boulder County Campus in Longmont.

Mary Jo Vasquez believes her father’s work to break the cycle of domestic violence is the reason she is an advocate today.

She spoke to a crowd Thursday at Front Range Community College Boulder County Campus in Longmont as part of Take Back the Night, describing the marches for civil rights and the Chicano movement she joined her father on instead of the abuse he had faced from her grandfather.

“He was a wonderful, wonderful father to me and my three brothers,” Vasquez said. “He was a wonderful mentor to me. I’m here today because of him.”

Now a bilingual counselor at the Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley, Vasquez told the group taking a stand against sexual violence that grassroots efforts are what create change.

“I learned that until you hit the pavement, until you start speaking up and speaking out — not just for you, but for everyone that’s affected by violence — then nothing will change,” she said. “That’s why it’s so important for me to be here tonight because Take Back the Night is still a very grassroots movement.”

Take Back the Night is the oldest worldwide movement against sexual violence, aiming to shatter the silence and stigma around it to support survivors in their healing process. Organized by FRCC’s Feminist Uprising Collective, the event included guest speeches, music and a vigil for all survivors.

Vasquez encouraged those listening to find their voice and to also listen to the voices of survivors when they do come forward. While people may feel uncomfortable hearing the truths about the abuse they may have been complacent in, she believes people need to hear it and that survivors should not feel ashamed.

“I’m here to tell you that I gave that shame back to my abuser. He no longer controls me in that way. That is one of the most beautiful things that I hear the survivors I work with say,” Vasquez said.

David Karnes, who also works at the Safe Shelter of the St. Vrain Valley, described his recent work intaking domestic violence victims and providing them with resources. He said while he is immersed in a culture where survivors are believed and people know that abuse is not the victim’s fault, there is still power in saying those words aloud.

“If someone ever shares something with you or comes to you for support, even if you know in your heart that it’s not someone's fault, just a simple act of saying those words out loud can be so powerful,” Karnes said. “It’s important to understand that you very well may be the only person that has ever told them this.”

While he noted there is still a lot of work to be done to stop this type of violence, he pointed out that events like Take Back the Night help.

“Just attending an event like this shows me that you are dedicated to doing the work in this community and being part of a positive change within this community,” Karnes said.