Do you remember your first day of college? Maybe it was last year, maybe it was four years ago. Mine was last week. It was a long day of never-ending speeches about plagiarism, alcohol, drugs, and sexual misconduct. I am sure you remember that one. It was a bit awkward for everyone. Some giggled. Some looked away. But I refuse to believe that some did not care at all.
During lunch-break, I talked about what just happened with my friends, and these guys from my home university back in Europe joked: “According to American standards you guys have all been raped”, referring to this one sketch, where a guy grabbed a girl while dancing with her. You know what? It may not be rape but that’s sexual assault and you need to understand that. We all need to understand that no means no, that not saying yes means no, and that not saying anything still means no!
I am sick of being told that I should be careful because I am a woman. I am sick of hearing my female, gender non-conforming, and, yes, even my male friends tell me they had to switch up their running routes, buy pepper spray or not wear certain types of clothing because they did not feel safe.