BAY PINES, Fla. — April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System is honoring survivors all month long through an inspirational art project.
It's a nationwide movement called The Clotheslines Project, created to raise awareness of sexual assault and Military Sexual Trauma (MST).
“We’re proud to recognize every Veteran survivor who has experienced Military Sexual Trauma (MST) through the Clothesline Project,” Paul M. Russo, the CEO and system director of Bay Pines VA, said in a statement. “Thanks to efforts by the MST coordinator, these survivors are able to Break the Silence that often surrounds MST through inspirational artwork and powerful, personal messages.”
The project features clotheslines hung with different color t-shirts showing powerful artwork and personal messages designed entirely by survivors of military sexual assault.
According to Bay Pines VA MST Coordinator Lisa Shoemaker, one in three women and one in 50 men report having experienced MST to their medical providers. Across the U.S. military, a recent report showed that reports of sexual assaults jumped by 13% in 2021.
“As we honor Veterans who are survivors of MST, our hope is that others will see these messages and find the strength to come forward," Shoemaker said in a statement.
The Clothesline Project will be on display at different VA locations all month long across the Tampa Bay area. Veterans and employees can check out the messages of hope from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the following locations:
- April 4: C. W. Bill Young VA Medical Center in Bay Pines
- April 5: St. Petersburg VA Clinic
- April 7: Sebring VA Clinic
- April 13: Bradenton VA Clinic
- April 14: Sarasota VA Clinic
- April 19: USF St. Petersburg Campus
- April 21: Lee County VA Health Clinic in Cape Coral
- April 25: Port Charlotte VA Clinic
- April 26: North Pinellas VA Clinic in Clearwater
- April 28: Naples VA Clinic
Russo said he wants to remind veterans, caregivers and their families that all MST-related care at the VA is comprehensive and free.
“Also, Veterans are not required to provide documentation of any MST experience, do not need to have reported the MST experience at the time it occurred, sought care within a certain time frame, or applied for service connection for an MST-related condition to get care," he said.