Using his personal experience as a sexual abuse victim, New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow addressed a crowd at a summit on male sexual assault at the Desmond on Albany Shaker Road. 

He encouraged victims to ignore societal stigmas, and that through acknowledging what happened, healing will come. Panelists who also experienced sexual assault took the floor, telling their stories.

According to studies, 25 percent of men in the United States have been victims of sexual abuse. Many undergo years of suffering without reporting the abuse or receiving help.