Rape

Assault does not disappear because the new identities of “spouse” or “mother” accumulate in your wake. This is how my husband and I handle intimacy.

My sexual assault is the main reason my girlfriend and I didn’t celebrate the love-infested holiday for the first six years of our relationship. Last Valentine’s Day, a month after we celebrated seven years together, was our first time embracing the holiday as our own.

My story does have a happy ending. Still, I’ll never forget. We survivors live every day with complicated consequences. Our assaulters do not.

I don't feel like this counts as rape. It wasn't violent, and she didn't drug me. This feels like one of those grey areas, but is it?

Because survivors aren’t masked superheroes: They’re humans.

I've been beating myself over the past few days, and my wife — who I love, respect, and can't live without — can’t look at me or speak to me.

I feel like I’m in this in-between space where I have deep sympathies for sexual assault victims and am incredibly passionate about issues of rape culture.

If you don’t want false rape accusations, don’t sexually assault anyone. Don’t even come close to sexually assaulting anyone.