Supporters, advocates and survivors stood up for themselves, beside each other and behind a banner declaring “We Believe Survivors” in a march on LSU’s campus Tuesday. 

The Believe March, put on by LSU’s Student Health Center, was dedicated to awareness and support of sexual assault survivors. 

LSU’s Enchanted Forest was sprinkled with supporters dressed in white, marching in silence as a united force. 

PHOTOS: LSU students and faculty participate in Believe March

“We will walk in silence, so [survivors] don’t have to,” said Kreslyn Kelley-Ellis, program director for LSU’s Lighthouse Program, an organization that “assists student survivors of sexual assault, interpersonal violence, stalking and harassment regardless of how long ago the incident occurred,” according to its website. 

With Sexual Awareness Month in April, this march draws attention to the issue and provides an opportunity for survivors, advocates, family members, friends and supporters of survivors to come together safely and confidentially. 

The march was kicked off by a speech given by Kelley-Ellis, where she explained the mission of Lighthouse. 

“The need for survivor advocacy work is so plentiful that there are never enough minds around the table, enough mouthpieces to say, I believe you, or enough hands to help victims recover,” Kelley-Ellis said. 

According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, Kelley-Ellis said, the best thing we can do for a survivor of sexual assault is believe them. 

Some advocates at LSU stood and spotlighted celebrities who have helped shine a light on sexual assault survivors, such as Kesha and Drew Dixon, both of whom shared their stories about sexual assault in the music industry. 

After the initial demonstration and speeches, the supporters marched around Cypress Hall, back alongside The 5 Dining Hall and straight through the middle of the Enchanted Forest. 

READ MORE: ‘Seen, heard and safe’: New LSU program aims to support student survivors of interpersonal violence

One advocate marched against the odds, with a broken foot. 

Gianna Vaccaro, a political science sophomore, broke her third, fourth and fifth metatarsal and fractured her ankle. Now, she wears a boot on her right leg. 

Despite her faulty foot, she marched proudly because she wanted everyone to know that she stands with them and by them, Vaccaro said. 

“I think that survivors of sexual assault are so hesitant to come out and just speak about their experience because they’re so worried about being believed. There’s such a stigma around it,” Vaccaro said.  

As the march came to a close, Kelley-Ellis looked out on the crowd, the survivors and supporters, and smiled. 

“Wow. This was so impactful. I sincerely hope that you embodied that awareness of survivors and their experiences and that you truly felt that purity, knowing you are a human being having human experiences,” Kelley-Ellis said.