COLUMBUS "DEMONSTRATION OF OUTRAGE"

(Columbus Free Press)--Ohio State University students staged a mass demonstration on the campus recently to protest the rape and beating of a student by three men who believed the woman to be a lesbian. She had been previously harassed and threatened by three male students and was attacked as she walked across the campus. The three men allegedly took turns raping and beating her, and told her, "This is the way it should be, and you better watch yourself.'

Over 400 demonstrators demanded that the administration of OU provide financial support for rape prevention programs and begin freshman education programs to demystify homosexuality.

"It's important that we make a statement now," Ami Bar On of Women Against Rape told a meeting of the Women's Action Collective, a non-profit corporation formed to produce feminist services for women. "The atmosphere in the OSU dorms is viciously anti-gay," she continued. "We have heard reports of other women being harassed by students because they are suspected of being les-

We Was

RAPE! 13 NOT

the answer

bians, but this incident must be met and dealt with. Rape is a tool men use to control women's lives."

"We do not perceive a demonstration as an end in itself," said Sunny Graff, a Women Against Rape member and Capital University law student. "A demonstration is a lever--it's a way to get the students and the University authorities to see how serious the problem is."

Five hundred people attended the "Demonstration of Outrage" October 24. It was held from 5 to 6 p.m, so that students going to eat at that time could be exposed to it. Two thousand leaflets explaining what had happened to the woman and outlining strategies for eliminating such acts of violence against women were passed out. Both the Universite and the students were called upon to share res. ponsibility for what had happened.

Students were asked to report persons who harass or gossip about others to OSU or Women Against Rape and to actively support women's right to be free of traditional roles, if they choose. The University was called upon to make a public

WOMEN RISING. OTECT OMEN

NOW

LIVING

Photo by Sandy diCenzo from the Columbus Free Press.

NOW Discouraged with WERE

The following news release of the N.O.W. Cleve. land Area Media Task Force was issued on October 27, 1977. Significantly, no Cleveland area radio or TV station would broadcast it.

A year ago, the N.O.W. Cleveland Area Media Task Force was heaping praise on radio station WERE. At a time when N.O.W. filed an informal compalint with the FCC on race and sex discrimination in employment against six Cleveland radio stations, WERE was spared because WERE stood above the others in being the first station in Cleveland to give women reporters and newscasters equal billing with men.

But what s happening with Cleveland's all news station? Backsliding began when WERE stopped using the News Information Service and altered its format. The males became the anchors and the females became their "sidekicks" (newscasters). It was Larry Matthews "along with" Sue Castorino, Ken Prewitt "along with" Norma Joseph, John Webster "along with" Judy Coates. But the situation gets worse.

Now turn to 1300 any given morning and hear nothing but male voices. Two male anchors, a male business editor, a male sportscaster, a male traffic reporter, a male TV critic, and a male weathercaster. Sue Castorino was taken from that prime time slot and moved to evenings even though she was obviously one of the strongest assets of the morning show. When Ms. Casterino was part of the team, Cleveland heard news and information. Now we have the ole boys club, "in"jokes, and an un-

bearable amount of male sports and nothing else. We believe that the removing of Sue Castorino at a time when she made WERE so popular and established in the community was an unforgiveable and costly mistake.

If it is necessary to have two male anchors in the morning, why is it not necessary to have two anchors during the day? Is it because women are teamed with men for most of the day and relegated to secondary positions as newscasters? For example, someone had to fill John Webster's afternoon drive time slot. Why wasn't the present newscaster, Judy Coates, moved to that position with another female anchor or a male newscaster? No. Instead WERE would rather lay its reputation on the line and hire back Mike Drexler. Consequently, WERE is void of female anchors in prime daytime slots.

NOW Media Task Force

The NOW Media Task Force is conducting a series of consciousness-raising sessions at radio station WWWE. The CR groups are being provided at the request of the station's new manager, who wants the NOW Media Task Force to conduct the workshops for his management. Three sessions are scheduled through December, covering the Equal Employment Law and the FCC, the Image of Women in the and Women's News. The workshops are being conducted by Donna Krause, Alice Rickel and Lana Moresky. For more information, contact the Media Task Force at 932-1986.

statement about its concern for the safety of all its students. Women Against Rape also volunteered its expertise in dealing with rape to the University and explained programs to help eliminate rape. The University has made no response.

But the campus police department did issue a statement. They said they could do nothing unless the crime was reported.

"The criminal justice system is messed up," WAR spokesperson Sunny Graff told the Columbus Free Press. "when a man is sent to prison for rape, he is not rehabilitated--more often than not he rapes other men in prison, and when he is released, he will rape women again.'

The woman who was raped October 12 wishes to avoid harassment, retaliation, and publicity. She does not know who the men are who raped her-she assumes that they are OSU students, but is not certain. Even if she were to change her mind about reporting the incident to the police, a rape charge rarely can be substantiated in court unless the woman undergoes a gynecological exam within hours after the incident.

"All of those arguments about why she isn't dealing with the attack through the "proper authori ties" muddy the issue," exclaimed Sunny. "The point is that this society doesn't act to stop rape. Women must find their own solutions--through self-defense, through women helping other women quickly, and through changing the widespread attitude that condones rape."

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