“May I Kiss You?” not just another brief

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Hrair H. Palyan
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Laughter, cheers and applause aren't what people would expect during a frank and open discussion about the serious issue of sexual assault. But that's exactly what filled the air in the base theater July 20, during a special briefing hosted by the base Sexual Assault Response Coordinator office.

Mike Domitrz, founder of the Date Safe Project, presented, "May I Kiss You," a refreshing look at bystander intervention, relationships, intimacy and dating. During the presentation, Airmen had a chance to get involved and interact with the presenter, rather than merely sit through the usual slide presentation and briefings.

"We chose Mike in order to bring awareness to the Ellsworth community without having them sit through a standard briefing," said Kelly Dominguez, 28th Bomb Wing SARC. "We also wanted to provide the Ellsworth community the opportunity to benefit from Mike's knowledge."

Domitrz, who has been educating and entertaining servicemembers since 2005, said that in the past, the military focused more on raising awareness to prevent sexual assault, while not keying in on, "the how to."

"Airmen can make a difference by intervening when they see somebody taking advantage of someone else," said Domitrz. "It doesn't matter whether or not you know the person being taken advantage of, what's important is acting."

The key, according to Domitrz, is in helping people understand what to look for and then to act. Another key part of the presentation focused on helping Airmen understand consent.

"Often, there is confusion as to what consent or sexual assault is," Dominguez said. "That's why it is crucial that our Airmen take advantage of every opportunity to learn and understand the difference."

Near the end of his show, Domitrz touched on how to help and support sexual assault survivors.

"Be there for survivors, and let them know how strong and courageous they are for sharing," said Domitrz. "Offer them the comfort of knowing that it's okay and that they came to the right person. "

Dominguez said that the engaging presentation is another tool the SARC office will utilize to educate Airmen and their families. For more information on the presentation and other services provided by the SARC, call (605) 385-5233.