#metoo
You are not alone. Together we can de-stigmatize speaking out about our experiences with sexual harassment, assault, and more.
The Damaging Grey Areas of the Me Too Movement
For me, a few months back I was scrolling my news feed; that is when "Me too" came into my life. A video of a woman putting the mattress [that she was raped on] out on her lawn with the words "Me too" written in cheap permanent marker for all to see. I was moved, and I tried to swallow the feeling of a ball in my throat as I watched women write their own words in symbolism of the trauma they had endured. I, myself am a victim of sexual assault for many years in my adolescent life, and seeing the "Me too" movement make its way through social media had me feeling a concoction of feelings that included sadness, pride, and the cold dead realization that it is more common than I had assumed. As time went on, sexual abuse cases became more clear amongst the Hollywood community. Not only amongst females, but men had began to tell their stories. I started to think to myself, "This may just be a start; this movement may not solve a single problem in regards to the actual abuse but it may help people not feel so alone, lost, and isolated."
By Brittany Wardrop8 years ago in Viva
I Was Gang Raped at 13...
This is probably a story that many of us, too many of us, can tell. It's a story that's been forgotten, pushed under the rug, and only recently with the #metoo movement, even been acceptable to relate to family and friends, let alone strangers who may judge, denigrate, and victim blame me. I won't go into details in this piece, but at 13 I ran away and in the process, I was gang raped by five men and an 11-year-old little boy. Through the grace of God and my determined mother, I was saved from the child trafficking ring these men had established in Las Vegas. Basically, their operation had members who sought out "lost" middle school girls and convinced them to run away to their "house" where they were raped "to break them in" and then shuttled to California. I was the second girl from my middle school who was targeted by this operation. The first girl was taken to California and never seen or heard from again.
By Tia Turner8 years ago in Viva
To the S.A. Survivor
You're going about living your life after a trauma, wondering if you will ever get past what happened to you, wondering if you will ever feel like yourself again. If you'll ever be able to sleep without seeing the face of the person who destroyed you, if you'll ever be able to go out alone in public without being on high alert. Let me just tell you this, survivor to survivor:
By Mother Mayhem8 years ago in Viva
Me Too
I'm encouraged and deeply saddened by the trending, "me too" on social media. I'm encouraged because victims spoke out in an unusual setting but the point is, they spoke out. I cannot stress enough the importance of breaking the silence but it doesn't end with breaking the silence. I'm going to share a little part of my story that I hope helps you see why breaking the silence is so important but going beyond that as well is vital to ending the problem.
By Taylor Carnes8 years ago in Viva
When I Was Pinched in the Mission
Back in school, I had gone to get my dinner, and I was walking down the street at night sticking close to a group of people. Out of nowhere, some idiot pinched me in between the legs. I mean pinched. Right there. Pulled on me, and pinched. This is sexual harassment at its finest. I yelled at him, swinging my grocery bag at his chest three times. I then cornered somebody, a male somebody, yelling at the person to look out for somebody smaller than he was because some idiot had pinched me. I was surrounded but I escaped that situation rather quickly, and I was yelling at them really loud. I had beef, green beans, and cheese in my bag as my only weapon.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez8 years ago in Viva
He's Mean To You?
I've heard it so many times in my life, and I'm sure that you've heard it too. Maybe not in these words, but you've definitely heard it. If he's mean to you, then he likes you... If he treats you like shit, then he MUST be into you. But where the fuck did this come from? When did we develop this notion that if a boy is mean to you, then he likes you. In my opinion, it starts really early on, when we're so small that we are indoctrinated into this bullshit way of thinking.
By Shana Nizeul8 years ago in Viva
We’re No Angels
Last I checked I have a penis. My name is Joel Eisenberg. I am a writer and television producer based in Los Angeles. I have no record of sexual harassment and, everything being fair, that status will remain unchanged. I was raised well by my parents, I’m happily married, and I respect women.
By Joel Eisenberg8 years ago in Viva
Being Silenced
It was my nineteenth birthday party, I was in college, and having the time of my life. I had a ton of friends there. We were dancing, singing, and drinking the night away. He was also there, the guy I’ve been talking to for about a week. I saw him staring at me the whole time. He had told me before that wasn’t really a dancer so I didn’t mind the staring. I mean, maybe I was trying to give him a show anyways. Dule* was tall, dark, and nothing I’ve ever had before. He was older, smarter, and I loved learning things from him; sometimes he even learned things from me. It was only a week of talking but it was long enough for us to get to know each other and have a bond. As much as we bonded, that didn't stop him that night. Neither did me being so drunk that I barely remember what happened that night.
By Grace Xtra8 years ago in Viva
