15th Annual Take Back the Night Philly- April 24th, 2025

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Thursday, April 24th, 2025!!

PLANNING IS IN FULL SWING!

Join us in strengthening the 15th Annual Philly Take Back the Night!!! We are calling all communities to unite and take a stand against domestic and sexual violence. It feels more important than ever to provide this space for survivors to connect, be heard, and receive support.

ABOUT OUR EVENT:

* March to take back the streets starting at one location - 36th & Chestnut - heading to the First Unitarian Church 21st & Chestnut.

* Participate in the "Bust the Myths" Street Action to address myths about sexual and interpersonal violence and abuse

* "Breaking the Silence" speak out; storytelling and sharing about living with and surviving violence, abuse, and oppression.

* A candlelight vigil to remember those still fighting, those lost to violence, and those surviving.

* Tabling to provide networking and resources for survivors and their families and friends from a coalition of beautiful, badass organizations and people.

*Performances interspersed in the speak out to provide opportunities to process, move, and pause

*"Light the Night" - an opportunity to write your share for those who do not feel comfortable or ready to speak aloud

*Art therapy table, self care stations, and support counselors

*Food and refreshments

We will only have one meet-up point this year. We will march and converge on the First Unitarian Church

Meet-up point:

West: 36th and Chestnut

5:30 -- March meet up at point

5:45 pm -- March begins

6:15 pm - join us for "Bust the Myths" street action raising awareness on the myths and facts of domestic and sexual violence at First Unitarian.

6:45 pm - 10:30 pm - Story sharing/"Breaking the Silence" speak out, "Light the Night", and performances.

10:45: Candlelight Vigil

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL, WHETHER OR NOT YOU CAN GIVE. WHETHER OR NOT YOU CAN SPEAK OUT, JUST COME AND BE AROUND US BECAUSE WE LOVE YOU AND WE MISSED YOU.

WITH GRATITUDE: THE 2025 TBTN ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Funds raised will support us to:

We will also be holding a few fundraising events - please check them out if you are interested, more detail will be coming soon:

Take Back the Night Philly: Mission Statement & Points of Unity

(developed with support from PSSC’s Points of Unity & in coalition with the MTERC)

This organizing committee is guided by principles of intersectionality, anti-oppression and combating rape culture. All members must be open to learning about these ideas and reflecting on their own biases. We understand that unpacking and unlearning our own biases and privileges allows us to create space for the various experiences of survivors of all different backgrounds & narratives and the ways they experience rape culture and other violence.

We believe that we live in a culture that excuses, tolerates and even encourages sexual violence and domestic violence. We are working toward a world without sexual assault and one in which communities can heal from and prevent sexual assault and domestic violence. We are fighting for a world that understands and respects Consent Culture.

We support anyone who identifies as a survivor of sexual assault or domestic violence, anyone who is supporting someone else who identifies as a survivor, or anyone who is unsure whether or not they have been sexually assaulted or been in an abusive relationship.

We support survivor’s self-determination in their own healing process and level of comfort in their involvement.

We recognize that issues around rape culture & domestic violence are amplified when intersecting with discrimination based on race, gender, class, ability (physical & intellectual disabilities and mental health challenges), documentation status, and sexual orientation. We see that systematic oppression, especially that of black, brown, & indigenous people, queer and transgender people, and women & girls, result in higher rates of violence, more silencing of voices and less justice. For this reason, we intentionally prioritize speakers and participants from these communities and strive to create a safer space for intersecting identities.

We believe that all survivors and individuals from systematically oppressed communities are free to respond to their oppression in any way that they see fit. We do not police or decide what kinds of responses to victimization are acceptable.

Our work and organizing are informed by prison abolition, harm reduction, and transformative justice. We strive to uplift community responses to sexual assault and domestic violence which don’t support state violence.

We are in solidarity with and support the fight for reproductive rights and reproductive justice.

We recognize that sexual assault, domestic violence and a culture based on rewarding domination and oppression, harms entire communities. We believe it is everyone’s responsibility to take sexual assault and domestic violence seriously and work to change the conditions that allow it to happen. We believe there are no “innocent bystanders”.

Our committee seeks to create a public safer space for healing and learning for survivors and allies who wish to work towards an end to rape culture & non-consensual culture.

We are committed to ongoing education and actions that challenge systems of power and oppression and work in solidarity with other organizations in our coalition working for these same goals.

*Please note: Our organization is not in any way affiliated with the Take Back the Night Foundation. For more information about our org, please visit our website at tbtnphilly.org *

Take Back the Night Philly: Misión y Puntos de Unidad

El Comité Organizador se guía por principios de interseccionalidad en contra de la opresión y lucha contra la cultura de la violación. Todos los miembros deben de estar interesados en aprender sobre estas ideas y reflexionar en sus propios prejuicios. Entendemos desempacar y desaprendernos de nuestros propios prejuicios y privilegios nos permite crear espacio para entender las diferentes experiencias de los sobrevivientes, de donde vienen, sus historias y la forma en la que experimentan la cultura de la violación y otras formas de violencia.

Creemos que vivimos en una cultura que excusa, tolera e incluso alienta la violencia sexual y la violencia doméstica. Estamos trabajando para tener un mundo sin agresión sexual, en el que comunidades puedan sanar y prevenir la agresión sexual y violencia doméstica de sus miembros. Luchamos por un mundo que entiende y respeta la cultura de consentimiento.

Apoyamos a cualquier persona que se identifique como un o una sobreviviente de asalto sexual o violencia doméstica y a quienes están apoyando a alguien que se identifica como un sobreviviente, apoyamos a cualquier persona que no está seguro de si si o no ha sido sexualmente agredido o agredida o que ha estado o está en una relación donde el abuso está presente.

Apoyamos la auto determinación de cada sobreviviente durante su proceso de sanación y en medida al nivel de confort en su participación que así lo necesite.

Estamos conscientes de que cuestiones relacionadas con la cultura de la violación y la violencia doméstica se magnifican al momento en que se intersectan con la discriminación basada en raza, género, clase social, capacidad (discapacidad intelectual y física y los problemas de salud mental), situación migratoria y orientación sexual. Vemos que la opresión sistemática, especialmente en la gente negra, café y la población indígena, queer y transexuales y las mujeres y niñas, las tasas de violencia son mayores y existe unamayor tendencia a silenciar sus voces y a obtener menos justicia.

Por esta razón, le damos mayor prioridad a oradores y participantes de estas comunidades que se esfuerzan por crear un espacio seguro para todas las identidades de la comunidad.

Creemos que todos los sobrevivientes y personas de comunidades oprimidas por el sistema son libres de responder a su opresión en cualquier forma que les convenga. Nosotros no decidimos qué tipo de respuestas son aceptables en caso de una victimización.

Nuestro trabajo en la organización es la abolición de la prisión, reducción de daños y justicia transformativa. Nos esforzamos por concientizar a las comunidades sobre el asalto sexual y violencia doméstica de una forma en la que el estado no lo hace.

Solidaridad con el apoyo de la lucha por los derechos reproductivos y la justicia reproductiva.

Reconocemos agresión sexual, violencia doméstica y una cultura basada en la dominación y la oppression daña a comunidades enteras. Creemos que es responsabilidad de todos tomar a las agresiones sexuales y a la violencia doméstica en serio y trabajar para cambiar las condiciones que permiten que esto ocurra. Creemos que no existen “espectadores inocentes”.

La Comisión pretende crear un espacio público más seguro para la sanación y de aprendizaje para los sobrevivientes y aliados que quieran trabajar para poner fin a la cultura de la violación y a la cultura del no consensual.

Estamos comprometidos con la educación continua y las acciones que desafíen a los sistemas del poder y la oppression, y a ser solidarios con otras organizaciones de nuestra Coalición que trabajen para nuestros mismos objetivos