MANCHESTER, NH – April is Sexual Assault Awareness month, and to bolster awareness Manchester VA Medical Center’s Annual Clothesline Exhibit is underway. The Clothesline exhibit is a visual display of T-shirts with expressive messages and illustrations designed by Veteran survivors of sexual trauma. “The purpose of the project is to increase awareness and destabilize stereotypes about ‘victims,’ to celebrate a person’s strength to survive, and to provide another avenue to courageously ‘break the silence’ that often surrounds these experiences with art,” said Judith Lambert-Messier, MST Coordinator, Manchester VA Medical Center. “The Clothesline Exhibit is open to the public and will be up through April 27th. Our hope is to bring awareness to the challenges Veterans face as a result of MST.”
The Clothesline Project is a VA initiative to bring awareness to Military Sexual Trauma (MST). MST is defined as any sexual trauma someone had suffered during active military service. Both men and women have reported experiencing MST, at equal levels. However, we believe MST is under reported, mostly due to victim’s worry they will be blamed, or fear of reprisals.
As part of the project, over 50 Veterans who’ve had their own experiences with sexual trauma participated in this year’s Clothesline Project. They decorated t-shirts with encouraging messages of support to show those struggling they’re not alone. Some common reactions to MST are:
- Strong emotions
- Feelings of numbness
- Trouble sleeping
- Difficulty with attention, concentration and memory
- Self-doubt or self-questioning
The Clothesline Project Exhibit will be on display until Thursday, April 27, and is open to the public from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day in the Primary Care Lobby off the Mountain Entrance at the Manchester VA Medical Center located at 718 Smyth Road, Manchester, NH 03104.
For help and information contact Judith Lambert-Messier, MST Coordinator at 800-892-8384 x 6450. For more general information about the services and benefits available go towww.Manchester.VA.gov
