There are many people in our community working to create positive change to end sexual violence. We want to feature as many of them as possible. If you would like to submit a recommendation, please email prevention@star.ngo.
When a person is victimized by sexual trauma, they are stripped of their right to use the word no. In that moment, they are told their words, feelings and needs don’t matter. Be a person that fights for those who are struggling to get that power back.
– Kirsten Raby
1. What is your position at STAR?
I am the Capital Area Regional Director at STAR’s Baton Rouge branch. I manage staff and daily operations of the branch, support improvements to our services, and work to build community partnerships and increase access to STAR’s services in the Capital Region.
2. What led you to your work in sexual assault prevention and/or response?
I’ve had a close connection with STAR since 2009, when it was still the Rape Crisis Center. I started working at the EBR District Attorney’s Office as a Victim Assistance Coordinator (VAC), which at that time was under the same umbrella as the Rape Crisis Center. I’ve worked with victims of sexual trauma and assault my entire career, although during my time as a VAC, I also worked with victims of other types of crime. My experience as a VAC allowed me many opportunities to see firsthand how sexual violence and rape culture can tear people’s lives apart. I have always had a passion for assisting those that have been traumatized by sexual violence and assault.
3. What do you find most rewarding about your involvement in this work?
Although I do miss direct service and contact with survivors, I really enjoy being the behind-the-scenes person. I love that I am a part of the procedures and processes that help this organization give survivors the very best. I enjoy being a part of a movement that is bringing about change in the way people think about sexual violence and its prevalence in our community. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to play such a vital role with STAR.
4. What motivates you to keep going when things get difficult or discouraging?
When I hear a survivor talk about how much our work has empowered them to keep going; when I come home and talk to my oldest son about consent and he actually understands that message and talks openly to me about his relationships with people; when I get an email from a stranger saying they saw us on TV or read about us in the news and they are supportive of what we do and the lives we are impacting…these things keep me going.
5. What are some simple, day-to-day ways you promote positive change in your community?
I’m a mother of two boys and I talk very openly with them about what it means to be a good person and how to be an active bystander when they see something that isn’t right. I talk to them about consent and how to treat their potential significant other, as well as friends and strangers. I think that by giving them these tools, they will grow up to be men that fight for equality and they will go into their schools and be leaders, not followers. I talk to them about the work I’ve done so that they know I’m not just talking about it, I’m putting action behind it as well.
6. What advice would you give to someone who is hesitant about becoming an active member of this movement?
I would say to think about how good it feels to have the power to say NO to the things you don’t want, and then think about what it might be like to have that power taken away from you all while being violated. When a person is victimized by sexual trauma, they are stripped of their right to use the word no. In that moment, they are told their words, feelings and needs don’t matter. Be a person that fights for those who are struggling to get that power back.
Get involved and make change with STAR!
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