F r o n t   L i n e March Madness by Pat Alther On Thursday, April 16, members of the Char-lottesville and university communities will be participating in the 10th annual Take Back the Night March and Rally to protest all forms of violence against women. The event began in San Francisco in 1980 and has steadily grown, spreading to hundreds of cities throughout the country, joining in the fight for safety and solidarity. I have been a political activist of some sort since my undergraduate days at U.Va. in the late 1960s, and I have identified myself as a feminist for many years. As a man who has participated in Charlottesville's rally for the past ten years, I would like to share some of my personal thoughts and reflections on Take Back the Night. Perhaps the perspective of a man who participates in the March and other events in support of women's issues will encourage other men to get involved as well. Unlike the rallies in some other communities, the Charlottesville Take Back the Night has always been inclusive to men. In some cities, at least in the past, the organizers have asked that only women march or speak at the rallies. However, singer John McCutcheon proclaimed at last year's march, "Men are either part of the problem or part of the solution." It is up to men to reject the practices of male domination, to realize that rape is always wrong, that sexist behavior is wrong, that homophobia is wrong, and to let other men know that you think so. It would be wonderful if college-age men of this generation came to regard sexual assault with the same abhorrence that men in the sixties regarded war, to become "conscientious objectors" to the whole patriarchal system. My charge is simple: reject all philosophies and value systems, including religious ones, that view women as inferior to men. Work for an end to the exploitation and objectification of women, for equal rights for both genders in all areas of life. By viewing women as equals, men come to see them as friends, mothers, sisters, and lovers -- as human beings rather than toys, objects, or playmates for men who refuse to grow up. They also come to view other men as friends and brothers -- maybe even lovers -- not as rivals or competitors. A couple of lines from gay male poet Harold Norse come to mind: "I am not a man. I have never raped a woman. I am not a man. I don't want to destroy you." The issues explored in Take Back the Night tie into the recent controversy over Playboy's visit to U.Va. Some of the first Take Back the Night marches in the United States were proclaimed marches against violence against women and against pornography. In fact, the first activity I got involved in with NOW at U.Va was the painting of Beta Bridge in 1987 to protest a Playboy visit during that year. We painted Robin Morgan's slogan, "Pornography the Theory, Rape the Practice." Playboy would not exist in a society that regarded men and women as equals, as valuable, worthwhile human beings. Take Back the Night will begin at City Hall on the Downtown Mall with music and speakers. Mayor Kay Slaughter, representatives from the Sexual Assault Resource Agency (SARA) and the Shelter for Help in Emergency (SHE) and local activist Gardenia Beard are among those who will share their thoughts. Local musicians Clare Quilty and Wendy Repass will also contribute their eclectic talents in support of women's issues. After the rally on the downtown mall, participants will proceed up West Main Street to the Rotunda. There, a candlelight vigil and a Speak Out will provide a safe space for survivors of sexual and domestic violence to share their experiences of pain and healing. In the past, the Speak Out has brought to light heartwrenching accounts of incidents that have occurred in the lives of girls and women. University students have spoken about their experiences with sexual assault on grounds; community women have spoken of childhood abuse; women in abusive relationships have spoken of how they finally found the courage to leave them. Unfortunately, women cannot walk freely outdoors after dark, or even during daylight hours. It will soon be two years since Lollie Winans and Julianne Williams were slain in Shenendoah National Park while hiking. There are still unsolved assaults in Charlottesville, both recent and dating back several years. And then there is the matter of date or acquaintance rape, when the assailant is not a stranger pouncing from the bushes, but someone the woman knows. Someone she trusts. Someone she should be able to trust. For all of the these reasons I will be marching on Thursday evening. I am marching for for my sister, for all women. The thought of close friends and family members lying bruised and violated is one of my worst nightmares. I am calling on other men to march with us, if you do not believe that being a man means oppressing women. I also call on gay men to march, since both rape and anti-gay violence are rooted in the same patriarchal doctrines. See you there brothers and sisters.

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