PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) — “Because I Wore This”: An event in Pensacola bringing together survivors of sexual exploitation from around the nation and breaking a stigma.

“What we were wearing is a question that is asked, and it’s so stigmatic,” Survivor Led Solutions Founder and CEO Alicia Tappan said. “It means like maybe we deserved to be sexually exploited, but we’re here tonight to show you it doesn’t matter what you wear; it’s not the victims’ fault.”

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Making a powerful statement, mannequins were placed around the venue, displaying outfits victims were wearing when they were exploited.

“I was trafficked by my family. I was trafficked as a child. It didn’t matter what I was wearing; it was going to happen,” survivor and Retreat Development Director with Survivor Led Solutions Tiffany Parker said. “All of the beautiful ladies you see here today, it doesn’t matter if we were wearing these dresses or naked; it was going to happen because of the situations we were in.”

Thursday’s demonstration raised funds to provide leadership, professional development and mental health services for survivors of human trafficking through the organization Survivor Led Solutions.

For the organization’s founder and survivor herself, Alicia Tappan, the event was a vision that came to life.

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“Tonight’s really special for me,” Tappan said. “My family is here; all my friends are here; the community rallied; law enforcement showed up. It’s just an opportunity to say ‘Hey, it’s not gonna happen in our city.’”

Tappan also took the opportunity Thursday to honor someone who stood by her and fought in her corner.

“As a survivor myself, I’m really honored tonight to be able to bring my detective in all the way from out of Minnesota, and he came here tonight just to receive an award,” Tappan said. “I wanted to showcase what it looks like when somebody goes above and beyond.”

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