The “Me Too” movement has quickly taken over most social media platforms. For those of you who are not yet familiar, it’s encouraging women who have been sexually harassed or abused to post the words “me too” to their profiles. This effort is a way to tangibly represent the number of women who have been victimized all over the world. It’s educating society about the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault, while simultaneously forming a community of women who are now connected.
We all share the same feelings of guilt, shame and fear.
This movement has done for me what it has done for many other women, it has helped me heal. I have read story after story almost identical to what I personally experienced.
A friend, someone I thought I could trust, took advantage of me. For years I have replayed that day in my mind. I would play out the scene thinking things like “Maybe I should have said ‘No’ louder”, “It was my fault for being alone with him” and “I should have known what his intentions were.”
Even after I heard him brag to his friends saying, “She said no, but I know she meant yes”, I still questioned what part I played in my assault. I assumed that because it wasn’t a stranger that it wasn’t actually rape.
Writing my story today, and reading the other stories from women online, has changed the narrative of the scene that I play in my mind. I now understand that I didn’t do anything wrong. The women sharing their stories did not do anything wrong.
Society has a problem, and just like cancer, it will continue to spread until we fight it. I believe this is the first step in our fight to end sexual harassment and assault. So to everyone reading this I say “me too”, and stand with you.
You can read more about the “me too” movement and the woman who started it in 2007 HERE.
