Y'all, I have had enough.

I have had enough of passing a guy on the sidewalk, smiling, and then quickly looking down to avoid "giving the wrong impression."

I have had enough of worrying that laughing at someone's joke constitutes flirting.

I have had enough of burying my personality in fear of being accused of "leading someone on."

I have just had enough.

In recent weeks, survivors of sexual harassment and assault have made incredible strides in taking back the power from their abusers! From Harvey Weinstein, to most recently Matt Lauer, people are beginning to take allegations of sexual assault seriously. We are coming together, standing up, and saying we won't be silenced with a pay-off. We want justice.

I am so proud to be among a generation of women who are coming together to make their voices heard! It gives me hope for a future where the assailant, not the victim will be on trial. Where the questions "What were you wearing?" and "Had you been drinking?" become obsolete. But there is still a major problem that impacts ALL women, and I'm here to shut it down.

My smile is not an invitation.

I have been the victim of both sexual assault and sexual harassment. To clarify, sexual assault does not only translate into rape. Sexual assault is any type of forced or coerced sexual contact or behavior that happens without consent.

Thirteen. Thirteen is the age I lost my sense of security. Thirteen is the age I started scrutinizing my every word, every expression, playing it back in my head to see if I was "sending the wrong message." I was on a school field trip to the City Museum in St. Louis, MO. For those who aren't familiar, there are lots of small tunnels and passageways to crawl through.

We were in groups, each group assigned a chaperone. I didn't think twice when that boy followed me into the crawl space. The chaperone was right outside. It was dark, and we came to the point where we could finally stand. Then it happened. I felt hands on my waist, I froze. The hands began to slowly slide downward... I panicked, and pulled away, too stunned to even say no. I didn't leave my chaperone's side for the rest of the trip.

On the bus ride home, I felt dirty. I kept playing back every interaction I had ever had with this boy in my mind, trying to figure out where I gave him the impression that I wanted to be groped.

I went back and forth on whether to tell a teacher, wondering if I was blowing the situation out of proportion. I decided to tell a teacher with whom I had a rapport. It was the right decision. She told me that no one ever has the right to touch me without my explicit consent.

From then on, the boy was told to stay away from me. The teachers kept a watchful eye during passing periods to make sure he didn't try to harass or intimidate me. However, during lunch, he would come up to my lunch table, under the guise of wanting to talk to one of my friends.

He always ended the conversation the same way. Slowly, and deliberately, he would turn toward me, and with a cocky smile say "Hi Anna" then slowly walk away, staring me down the whole time. He knew what he was doing. I never responded. This continued into high school until he finally got tired of not receiving my attention and gave up. Age 13 and I had a sexual stalker. Let that sink in.

For years afterward, I would avoid eye contact entirely with any boy, afraid that if I looked at them, or God forbid - smiled, that I would be making myself a target. Because it was my responsibility not to lead them on, right?

Wrong.

Guys, my smile is just that, a smile. I'm not flirting with you, and I'm definitely not inviting you to touch me. You do not get to use my happy, outgoing personality as an excuse for assault.

Ladies, smile! No really, you are allowed to smile, laugh, make jokes, and dress in a way that makes you comfortable. I'm here to tell you that your body is yours. That "No" is a complete sentence. And that you are not overreacting by reporting any form of sexual assault or harassment. Your voice matters, and should be heard!

In the wise words of Helen Reddy, "I am woman, hear me roar!"

And guys? My smile is not an invitation.