Teen’s Rape Culture Artwork Banned From High School Exhibition for Being ‘Inappropriate’
In an interview with WYFF, Holtzclaw said she’s disappointed that the school district appears to be missing the point of her artwork, which was inspired by her personal experience with sexual assault and victim-blaming.
“I started at an early age at a Christian school, locally, and we were always taught that it was our responsibility as women to cover up and be modest, and if a man was to ever get aroused or turned on or be interested in us, it was our fault,” Holtzclaw said. “Eventually, I had gotten sexually assaulted. It was true when it happened. Everyone blamed me for it and told me it was my fault, and that just led the way into this art piece.”
“I know I’m not the only girl in high school that’s been sexually assaulted and felt like it was my fault, so I wanted to get the word out there and tell people, ‘It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault,’” the high school senior continued, explaining that her artwork is supposed to communicate that it’s not women’s or men’s responsibility to cover up.
More: Teen’s Rape Culture Artwork Banned From High School Exhibition for Being ‘Inappropriate’