This is an article not only about my personal experience, but an experience many women have had to face. Sexual assault and rape are things we hear about frequently nowadays, but that doesn’t mean we always address the issue head on. We all have different views on police and their actions, yet it’s not only their actions that can sometimes be hurtful, it’s also their words. So here’s me, sharing my truth.
Blurred vision…slurred words…poor coordination…confused. I was drunk. I knew it, and he knew it too. He was my friend; I thought I could trust him, but then again, people will always end up surprising you in some way.
When talking to a police officer, who was an older man, I felt uncomfortable. After sharing my story, I felt no sympathy or understanding from him for what I had experienced. Then these words came out of his mouth: “We can’t deem this a sexual assault and definitely not rape because in his mind, he had consent.” In HIS mind. In HIS mind. In HIS mind. I kept thinking “Well what about my mind? What about what I wanted?” My mind was clouded by the toxicity of alcohol; however, the officer’s words seemed to attribute a more piousness feeling as he deemed my suffering invalid.
Over the days after this experience, I struggled more than most people will understand. I was sexually assaulted and, I’m not afraid to say that anymore because I know the truth, even if that officer didn’t. I know what’s right and I know what’s wrong, even if our justice system doesn’t. What I learned from this experience is that even though I didn’t get the answer I wanted, I spoke up and that’s what matters most. In a broken world, sometimes people will choose to ignore your feelings, but that doesn’t make them invalid. You are entitled to your feelings. You are entitled to speak the truth. You matter, and so does your truth.
This is an issue we should all be speaking out about because it happens too much to be ignored. If I changed even one person’s mind on speaking up about their experience, then I’m glad. Remember to always speak your truth, even when if it may be the hardest thing you do.
#MeToo