SKOWHEGAN — Martin Hepburn shuffled along with a crowd of walkers in the cold of Saturday morning, at times straining to maintain balance.
He was, after all, wearing bright red women’s high heels — size 9 with a 3-inch heel.
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“They hurt,” Hepburn huffed, “but the adrenaline is pumping and I’m so excited for this. It’s a really great cause.”
The 17-year-old from Augusta admitted he was in some pain, but said the discomfort was worth it. Hepburn was among a group of 30 people — including two other men wearing red high heels — who walked about one mile in downtown Skowhegan to raise money and awareness to combat domestic violence.
The Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event, which assembled near at the Skowhegan Chamber of Commerce building, was organized by the Somerset Domestic Violence Task Force, Family Violence Project and Sexual Assault Crisis and Support. Organizers encouraged men to don high heels to illustrate the point that masculinity isn’t about violence against women.
The other two men wearing red high heels, Jon Heath and Matthew McGuckin, said they didn’t mind changing into slightly tight footwear to make a point.
Heath, 41, of Vassalboro, who wore a black shirt saying “Gender and Context Matter,” said he purchased his red high heels recently at a Payless shoe store. He’s also director of MensWork, an education program for men convicted of crimes involving domestic violence.
“They’re pretty tight, but it just represents the idea that oftentimes as men, we’re sort of self-centered and don’t put ourselves in someone’s else’s shoes. Empathy really has to be encouraged in men,” Heath said. “I think all of us are here to bring into the forefront the impact domestic violence is having on families and, most importantly, women in Maine. The deaths that have resulted just this year have impacted the whole community.”
It’s also a personal issue for Heath, who recalled that his sister was married for 15 years to a man who was physically violent and psychologically abusive. His sister eventually left her husband, he said, but the experience affected the whole family.
McGuckin, 47, of Belgrade, was there with his wife, Susan, who is an advocate and works in the women’s group for domestic violence.
“It is a personal issue and very important to my wife, and I’m fully supportive of her for the cause,” he said. “A lot of people don’t know about it or are afraid to speak up about it.”
Nan Bell, community educator at the Family Violence Project, said the first-time event raised at least $400 to aid domestic violence victims, and she hopes to hold the walk again in the future.
“It can’t just be women who are talking about it,” Bell said. “We need to all make a change as communities, so we need men, women, children all speaking out that abuse isn’t OK.”
Skowhegan Police Chief Mike Emmons spoke to the walkers before they departed, saying thousands of Mainers, mostly women, live with violence, abuse or intimidation at the hands of loved ones. Emmons said about 30,000 Mainers are the victims of domestic violence each year and more than half of the state’s murders are results of domestic conflict.
“By its nature, domestic violence is a complicated issue,” Emmons told the crowd before the walk. “It is tough to ask help when you have been isolated, controlled and manipulated and then threatened for daring to leave.”
Emmons praised organizations such as the Family Violence Project for supporting victims and holding abusers accountable.
“It is time for men to send the message that this is our business and it is our responsibility to end domestic violence and sexual assault.”
Scott Monroe — 861-9239
smonroe@centralmaine.com
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