I am rising because there's not a day that goes by where rape and sexual assault
do not cross my mind. I am rising because I consider rape and sexual assault every
time I walk through a parking lot late at night, take a jog in the evening, or get
off a train when it is dark. I am rising because someone once told me that
instead of spending my money on Yoga classes, it would be “more practical” to
take a self-defense course. I am rising because rape and sexual assault is
simply a normal part of the female experience and for some reason we’ve all
just accepted that reality. I am rising because some men believe that if they
text me, touch me, or pursue me, they are simply entitled to my response.
I am rising because I have friends who were raped not only by strangers, but also by boyfriends, friends, uncles, and fathers. I am rising because my friends have been raped and sexually assaulted at parties,
on vacations, in their homes and in their schools. I am rising because I have
seen women’s lives and relationships ruined from years of abuse.
I am rising because what I have described above would be considered utopia for women in other parts of the world. I am rising for the Democratic Republic of Congo--the "rape capital" of the world--where the average little girl is raped by the time she is 8 years old. I am rising for the women whose bodies have been so violated that they can no
longer carry out basic functions. I am rising for the girl in India who becomes a wife by 12 years old. I am rising for the many women who have no idea what it means to own or enjoy their own sexuality because it has always belonged to someone else.I am rising because little boys are taught that being violent is simply "boyish" behavior. I am rising because I still live in a world where people are more comfortable with men holding guns than they are with men holding hands. I am rising because I don't want my future son to think that the worst thing he could ever possibly be called is a "girl." I am rising because I don't think guys have to "man up."
I am rising because I want a better world for the two special little girls in my life--the "nieces of my heart." I am rising because I want them to always feel safe. I want them to grow up and believe that they can do anything; walk down the street and be unharmed, speak their mind, be respected, run for president, love and enjoy their bodies. I am rising because I want them to grow up and have a little less anxiety, discouragement, and fear than I do.
I am rising so that my future daughter doesn't have to. Will you rise with me?
