as small as a world and as large as alone

11:17pm September 7, 2014

pervocracy:

tranqualizer:

we need to stop idealizing “speaking out” to the point where victims/survivors feel coerced to share their traumatic experiences around sexualized violence because they feel like they need to prove that they deserve support for being “brave enough” to speak out about it. there is tremendous strength and vulnerability in silence. i need us to stop relying on this model of bleeding ourselves dry in order for transformation of the self and others to happen.

This is important.  Obviously I very much respect people who talk about their experiences (I am one myself), but I also respect people who don’t.  Whether for your emotional health, your safety, or simply because you consider it private—it’s okay to not share your story.

Survivorship is not performance art.  Don’t support survivors because their stories are heartbreaking or inspirational or show us all why we need feminism.  Support survivors because they need it.

—

Sometimes I feel like these kinds of posts are hard to make without sounding like “okay, everyone, 180 degree turn, now we all need to only support people who keep silent!”  No.  We need to honor both and  shut down any idea of “the one right way to be a survivor.”

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