Voices of Men spread message of consent

On Tuesday, ONHS freshmen and sophomores attended a presentation by volunteers from Voices of Men, a Menasha-based initiative funded by Goodwill in partnership with Christine Ann and Harbor House domestic violence shelters, as well as Reach Counseling and the Sexual Assault Crisis Center. Juniors and seniors were not able to attend due to logistical concerns.

Voices of Men’s mission is to encourage men and boys to express their emotions in healthy ways, end a culture of toxic masculinity, and speak up against the subjugation and sexual assault of women.

The assembly in the fieldhouse on Tuesday featured the story of Appleton math teacher Chelsea Bongert and poems from Guante, a published spoken word artist from Minnesota whose themes focus on social justice. [See videos below]

Bongert opened up to the audience about her rape at 14 years old and how it disrupted her ability to live the life of a normal teenage girl, eventually leading to a suicide attempt. “Everything I knew about the world and [about] happiness was gone… I didn’t know what to do or who to go to,” she told attentive students and faculty members.

Bongert emphasized the importance of not being a silent bystander when witnessing sexual assault, as well as the importance of making sure survivors know that what happened was not their fault. She ended the morning by talking about her triumph over trauma surrounding past assaults and showing the audience a list of things she wouldn’t have done if she was successful in ending her life at 14.

“You can live in the present,” Bongert said.

For more information on Fox Valley Voices of Men, visit their website at voicesofmen.com.