A woman under the pseudonym "Jane Doe" filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell and one of its fraternities, claiming she was drugged and sexually assaulted by seven students.
The story made national headlines and impacted many across the country, including here in Hawaiʻi. Ash Ushio, a tattoo artist at The Greenhouse Collective studio on Oʻahu, immediately felt pulled to do something.
"I heard about it, and obviously I was very horrified and disgusted about what happened and enraged, and felt very like, 'What do I do?'" Ushio told HPR.
They made a social media post announcing that their profits from the following two weeks would all be donated to the Hawaiʻi Sex Abuse Treatment Center.
The post reached thousands across the islands who commented in support of the mission, and dozens rushed to book an appointment.
"It's really nice to know that you're not alone in this, and that everyone does collectively share this anger and drive to do something," Ushio added.
The SATC Hawaiʻi works to support the emotional healing of those who experience sexual assault in Hawaiʻi. It also increases community awareness and education, while working with the criminal justice system on better holistic care and preventative efforts.
Ushio has several friends and loved ones who have gone to the SATC Hawaiʻi for care and support, and they all commended Ushio's choice.
"It was really touching to see the support and the response from the post," Ushio said. "I even had people reach out directly who said they couldn't get a tattoo right now, but that they had been to SATC before and that they were a very deserving organization."
Ushio raised over $2,200 within the first two weeks of the fundraiser, which will help the center provide medical, emotional and legal assistance for survivors of gender-based and sexual violence.
They added that this fundraiser is significant because of the prevalence of sexual violence in Hawaiʻi, especially among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. But they believe tattooing can be an act of resistance and joy in the face of trauma.
"Tattooing for thousands of years has been a way for people to express themselves," Ushio said. "But to also decorate their body however they want and kind of reclaim their bodily autonomy in a very intentional way."
