#MeToo Must Be Inclusive

I have endured and persisted past numerous experiences of sexual harassment, the last one occurring this year by a friend’s husband. I have experienced varying levels of sexual assault a number of times and I was raped when I was pregnant with one of my children. I reported all of them and never saw any justice but rather was disbelieved, given over to my attackers to yell at me along with authoritarian figures I feared and shamed from communities I thought would shelter me.

Since this has all come out I have been fearful that people who may recall my trauma reports in the communities I have passed through might try to Google me to see whatever came of me. I don’t care if they do it out of empathy, guilt or some sort of weirdness I’d rather not imagine, I don’t want to feel their stares. I am getting really mad from all the talk about why women don’t report because I did. I am grateful women are finally being heard and hopeful they will someday be believed. Reliving feelings of trauma has not been easy through this incredibly important process, that’s not where I want to be. I also feel very strongly that sexual abuse of any kind is awful for both sexes and all children.

Furthermore, I feel very deeply that no matter what happened to me women and girls of color have always had and still have it worse. Trans women have it worse. The disabled have it worse. These groups are treated to this very day so heinously that my experience seems almost irrelevant. This movement to correct this societal injustice of the disenfranchised and less powerful must be inclusive.