Last time I opened up my Facebook feed, I saw a post that began with "me too." It was posted by one of my old friends, so I threw a love symbol towards them and kept scrolling. The deeper I scrolled, the more I saw the words.
Me too.
I'd like to believe it was just Facebook's algorithm that was making them pop up so frequently, but being a college student, I knew the sad truth was that Facebook had nothing to do with it.
21 percent of all TGQN+ students have been assaulted.
Every 98 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted.
These statistics cannot -- and should not -- be ignored. They are as true as they can be, and it is also true that millions of people every day will never admit what happened to them. They have been assaulted by someone they know extremely well, or they have never even seen the face of the person that changed their life in such a negative way.
A "me too" post can only come from the most confident of victims. I thank them for being strong enough to share even a piece of their story with people that may not know them all that well.
However, we must never forget about all those who will never step up to share their story with the people around them. Open your heart to the girl who said no, to the boy that was too drunk, to the transgender that realized this isn’t what they signed up for halfway through. Every case is valid. Every case deserves the same amount of sympathy.
You will never get to see all of the "me too" posts. You will still be able to realize the magnitude of the problem.
Instead of being angry or defensive, be an advocate for those who need you. You will never know if the person next to you in class, the person in front of you for coffee or the old friend who still lives down the street was assaulted. Kindness is a lot easier than hate will ever be.
To all victims: there are millions of resources and people who love you. There are many things you can do to help yourself and love yourself again. Do not let your faith in humanity or your faith in yourself disappear. You are not alone. You never will be.
The solution to the sexual assault problem is not complete, nor is it a clear cut, simple path. It begins with proper education on the topic, on sexual education, on safety and on the resources available to you when crisis strikes.
RAINN is a wonderful resource for information on sexual assault, laws by state, live chatting and public policy.
To talk to someone about what has happened, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673).
If things are getting to be too much, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
You are so incredibly loved.