It happens here, and it happened to me, more than once. I spoke about the events that transpired exactly one year ago on this stage, and I don't want to rehash them. What I want to speak about is the aftermath. For all that people here claim they support survivors, I've been routinely silenced on our "progressive" campus. Friends have said, "Let's change the topic; I don't want to hear about this," and, "You can't let this affect you so much." Often when I confront people about staying friends with an assailant, their response is, "I'm not condoning their actions, but... they're my friend. They didn't understand what they were doing. They seem so innocent!"
“But". In that one word, I hear an invalidation of my experiences. I hear that sexual violence isn't really that big a deal. I hear that my body and my wellbeing are less important than my assailant's.
This year I've been learning to stand up for myself. I am grateful for the friends who have listened to me and respected my wishes, even if it took some of them many months to do so. I hope to confront my assailants before I graduate. Sometimes I hear what people say, and I think that I'm overreacting and should be over this by now. But I'm not, and I have to keep telling myself that my voice is important, because this year I refuse to be silenced.