The assumption that most sexual assault victims lie has been proven false and this fact has been known for quite some time. Yet, the toxic notion still prevails. Since late last year we have heard women and men come forward with their experiences with harassment and sexual assault as part of #MeToo, a movement started...
Category: #MeToo
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What Aziz Ansari Did Was Coercion, Not Consent
Coercion is not consent. It is sexual abuse. It is sexual assault. It is rape. And “no” is a complete motherfucking sentence. [TW/CW: Descriptions of sexual assault, violence and rape culture.] With each 24-hour breaking news cycle I wait for the inevitable fall of another admired hero. I’ve almost gotten used to the gut-punch that...
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Dear Rose McGowan, Here’s Why I Won’t Be Watching ‘Citizen Rose’
Rose McGowan seeks to bask in the glow of a compassion only reserved for white women whilst the footprints of her Doc Martens are pressed into our backs. I employ what one could call a ‘survivor’s leniency’. As a complex PTSD sufferer because of multiple sexual assaults, and the recipient of intense therapeutic support which...
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Remembering Misty Upham in the Era of #TimesUp and #MeToo
We must hold celebrity friends and colleagues of Misty Upham accountable for not speaking out; she is exactly who #TimesUp should be fighting for. by Abaki Beck [TW/CW: Mentions of sexual violence and rape] This year’s Golden Globes were decidedly different than years past. Attendees wore black in solidarity with the #TimesUp campaign. Eight actresses brought...
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I Can’t Hear In That Ear: Abuse Affects Queer Relationships Too
When I found myself as the victim within an abusive relationship, one that was marred by queerness, blackness, and a profoundly turbulent love resonating between the two of us, I was stunned into submission. [TW/CW: descriptions of emotional abuse and physical violence.] Last month while sitting in a smoke lounge on the westside of Atlanta,...
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Dear Russell Simmons: #YesYou
#YesYou, because unless you have been actively engaged in teaching men about rape culture and how to end it, you are not doing nearly enough. By Da’Shaun Harrison Very powerful men have been under scrutiny recently for their perpetuation of sexual violence against women, femmes, men and otherwise queer bodies. We have read disheartening testimonies...