TRIGGER WARNING: This post contains content that may trigger some, please read with caution.
As a sexual assault survivor, I could say a lot of things about Supreme Court Judge nominee Brett Kavanaugh. I could say he’s a pig or that he’s an embarrassment, but that would just be beating a dead horse. I’d rather not give him more attention, good or bad, that he doesn’t deserve. I’d rather talk about the actual victim of this event: Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. I watched bits and pieces of the trial last week and saw a very familiar look of anxiety and pain on her face. I know what that looks like and I know how that feels; having to relive a traumatic experience over and over again. I didn’t have to testify in court, because God forbid we BELIEVE women when they say they’ve been sexually assaulted, but to blatantly say that a survivor is lying, like Kavanaugh did numerous times, is an outright insult.
People may wonder why she took so long to come out with her experience, but to say what happened is a painful experience in itself. I took ten years to finally say something about my assault, and not because it was the most convenient time, but because it took me that long to be able to say something without having a massive anxiety attack. Reliving an experience like that takes a lot of time to be comfortable with. Dr. Blasey Ford’s experience should not be belittled just because she is accusing a man in power. His actions should not be condemned because he is in a position in power. His actions should actually be scrutinized MORE because he is in power. To have a man that has been accused of sexual assault in any sort of position of power is an insult to survivors like myself and so many others.
Sexual assault is much more common than most think, that’s why things like the Me Too movement are so important. They show that so many woman, and more importantly women of color, have been or will be sexually assaulted in their lives. Men should be held accountable for their actions, regardless of their power. A survivor’s experience should not be belittled because of the affect that it will have on the assaulter. Dr. Blasey Ford’s experience should not be deemed as false just because she is accusing a man in such high power. Her testimony should be treated equally to others in the same position because it is just as valid.