Why I Am Rising

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?