UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — What happens after a person is sexually assaulted, not only to the victim-survivor, but their friends, family, loved ones, and the community in which they live and learn? The critically acclaimed film “Audrie & Daisy” explores these questions. The film examines the ripple effects on families, friends, schools and communities when two young women find that the sexual assaults committed against them have been caught on camera.
The Gender Equity Center at Penn State will host a screening of “Audrie & Daisy” at 7 p.m. on Aug. 30 in Heritage Hall in the HUB-Robeson Center, followed by a question-and-answer session with Charlie Coleman, an integral figure in the film. The event is free and open to everyone.
Charlie is the brother of Daisy Coleman, featured in the film. Daisy was assaulted by people Charlie knew as friends and teammates, and he has a powerful story to share about peer culture, masculinity, and holding friends accountable. His impactful contribution to the acclaimed film shows his incredible voice as both a brother of a survivor, an ally, a coach, and a mentor to young athletes.
“As a society, we are much more willing to vilify alcohol or party and hookup culture as the cause of sexual violence, without examining the cultural norms and problematic attitudes which permeate the atmosphere of every party, contaminating every drink poured,” said Becca Geiger, assistant director of the Gender Equity Center. “It is difficult for us to reconcile a fact that someone we know, trust, and even call a friend could harm someone else or commit an act of sexual violence. As such, it is easier to point our fingers at other so-called ‘causes’ of sexual violence than do the difficult work on looking internally at ourselves and our culture and holding others accountable for their actions. Charlie’s personal and professional experience highlights the importance of confronting these difficult topics, rather than ignoring or avoiding them, in order to bring about true culture change.”
Coleman graduated from Baker University with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and was a four-year varsity baseball letterman. His experiences have led him to want to reach as many young athletes as possible and to co-found the national organization SafeBAE, a survivor-founded, student-led national organization whose mission is to end sexual assault among middle and high school students, the only national peer-to-peer organization of its kind.
The film screening is hosted by the Gender Equity Center, a unit of Penn State Student Affairs and is co-sponsored by the Schreyer Honors College, the Penn State Interfraternity Council, Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics’ Student-Athlete Welfare and Development, and Centre Safe. Attendees should be prepared for a highly impactful event that asks them to consider what each of us can do to prevent sexual violence and support survivors in our community.
Follow the Gender Equity Center on Facebook and Instagram using @PennStateGenEq to stay up to date or visit studentaffairs.psu.edu/genderequity. Join the Gender Equity Center listserv by emailing rxg5421@psu.edu.