FED UP Vermont

Recently, University of Vermont has been in the spotlight after a Fraternity survey asked members “If you could rape someone, who would it be?” This egrarious expression of rape culture ignited a fire of action to combat sexism and rape culture at the University and society as a whole. 

Please help us create a safe, supportive and gender equal culture for students, faculty, staff and greater community members!

We demand:

1. UVM must enact a zero tolerance policy for sexualized violence and then perpetuation of rape culture on campus.

2. UVM must rework diversity requirements to include mandatory Women’s and Gender Studies courses.

3. UVM must increase funding for ALANA, LGBT and Women’s Center in porportion with growing needs and size of student body. 

4.UVM must develop leadership bodies that accurately represent the gender composition of the UVM community and facilitate leadership by women.

5. UVM must provide full transparency about sexual harassment, rape, and gender violence in the UVM community and regularly report such information. 

Join FED UP on Saturday, January 21st for a a rally, teach-in, and speak-out about rape culture!

The event starts at 12:00 PM on Saturday at the steps of Bailey-Howe Library at the University of Vermont. Feminist students and community members called for this event ata rally on December 15th in response to the sexist survey put out by Sigma Phi Epsilon last semester.

A survey question sent through Sigma Phi Epsilon’s ranks left the UVM Administration and National Sigma Phi Epsilon with no choice but to shut down the Burlington chapter. As a response to this action,

FedUp and other local organizations have posed a list of demands on UVM which include: increased funding to Diversity programs on campus, full transparency about violence against women in the UVM community, and actively working to raise awareness about rape culture on college campuses and in our community.

The action will begin on the steps of the Bailey-Howe Library at noon. The rally will march downtown to City Hall for a teach-in and speak-out about sexism and rape culture. The event will feature talks by students, faculty, and local activists, followed by a speak-out for all.

Join FED UP Vermont, Peace and Justice Center, Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, Occupy VT Burlington, HopeWorks, Students Stand Up, International Socialist Organization, UVM Feminists, Voices For Planned Parenthood (VOX), Green Mountain Anarchists, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and other local organizations on January 21, 2012.

uvmlittlebird:

Following the rape survey scandal, UVM has decided to close the Vermont chapter of the fraternity.

Wow, we in FED UP never would have guessed that just a discussion at our meeting last sunday would have lead to this. Thank you again to everyone, individuals, the media, other community organizations at UVM and Burlington, for helping us make such a change. 

SHATTER THE SILENCE!

STOP THE VIOLENCE!

We’re mentioned in their sig ep article. Life=made.

A member of UVM’s Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity recently sent a survey to his brothers, in which the final question listed was:

“If you could rape anyone who would it be?”

This egregious expression of rape culture is only the most recent example
of systemic sexism at UVM. The past year alone has witnessed rape, multiple sexual assaults, and anti-abortion chalking in public spaces. While the university administration has laid off long-time Women’s and Gender Studies faculty and supported sexist institutions like Sigma Phi Epsilon, it has refused to take concerted action to combat sexism and rape culture. We
demand that instead of diverting resources into vast salaries for its
administrators, UVM should launch an aggressive campaign against sexism and rape culture, and it should expand institutions such as Women’s and Gender Studies and the Women’s Center at UVM. Furthermore, UVM must immediately disband Sigma Phi Epsilon. An institution that discusses who it wants to rape has no place at UVM or in the Burlington community.

(click the link for details)