04/11/2024
I want to speak candidly about something deeply sensitive—my own experience of sexual abuse—and urge those on the fence to get out and vote tomorrow.
There’s been nothing more earth-shattering in my life than experiencing sexual violence at a young age. If you’re a survivor, you know how it shakes you to your core. I know the struggle to feel safe, to trust yourself, to be in your own body. I know the shame, the guilt, the disgust. And how your body can freeze with just a touch, a kiss, or an unexpected gesture.
I know the endless questions:
Will I ever feel safe again?
Will I feel joy in intimacy?
Is it okay to say “no,” even to someone I love?
Why do I still feel ashamed?
Am I too broken to be loved?
If people knew, would they see me differently?
If these questions haunt you, know you’re not alone. For me, they felt woven into my bones. But through therapy, healing, moments of rage, compassionate friends, and self-compassion, I’ve found my way back to myself.
I, like millions of survivors across this country, understand firsthand how deep these wounds can go and how vital it is to protect the rights and well-being of survivors. Electing someone who is proud to have violated women’s bodies, been convicted of sexual assault, and seeks to take away our right to make choices about our own bodies only deepens the trauma and fear survivors already carry. Someone who has violated women’s bodies and left them shaken to their core, probably stirring in very similar questions to the ones listed above.
This affects all genders in ways we can’t fully comprehend.
We need a leader who will fight for our safety, dignity, and bodily autonomy. Electing the first woman president, Kamala Harris, means electing someone committed to protecting survivors and ensuring no one is forced into unimaginable choices.
Please VOTE. Share this. If you need resources, DM me for support.
