Member-only story
Abuse thrives on fear and secrecy. My #MeToo disclosure hasn’t been easy, but by breaking my silence, I’ve stopped protecting those who abused me and those who enable them. Shining a light on my own experience, I hope helps others too, by inspiring empathy and letting other survivors know they aren’t alone. Virtual friends, your encouragement as well as that of my real life dear ones, has meant everything to me.
A future post will delve further into the outfall. For now, a relative says I’ve overstepped their boundaries and seek to drive wedges. To anyone who agrees, I offer Wikipedia’s explanation of #MeToo. According to the site, survivor/activist Tarana Burke (who Time Magazine honored) started “Me Too” to empower survivors, regardless of their gender, their color, or if they’re disabled, through empathy. “Me Too” encourages survivors to speak up so they can heal and know they aren’t alone. Her movement of bravery and compassion continues to change how the entire world thinks and talks about sexual violence, consent and bodily autonomy. Me Too offers survivors a way to become leaders in the struggle to end sexual violence.
Wikipedia points out, “false reports of sexual assault are very rare, but when they happen, they are put in the spotlight for the public to see. This can give the false impression that…
