"Rape is not pretty, and we’d rather not look at it. Still, it’s a fact of my life that I was raped. Pretending it didn’t happen or tiptoeing around the details will not change that fact. Why should I have anything to hide? And who does my silence benefit?"

—

xojane.com managing editor Emily McCombs, on why she talks about being raped and why she’ll never be silent (via janetmock)

i struggle w this alot though. to be or not to be silent. :(

(via pompadoursandpincurls)

I struggled with this for many years, but I eventually found that breaking the silence was exactly what I needed to start healing. My silence benefited my abuser, and possibly other abusers out there. All it did for me was make me feel alone, disgusting, and worthless. Ceasing to hide it, while heart-wrenching, made me stronger, brought me the support of others, and gave support to others out there who recognized their own pain in mine. I did suffer some very painful losses as my abuser lashed out at me for outing him, but for me it was worth it for the freedom I gained. I was very fortunate that the circumstances of my situation were such that very few people would engage in victim-blaming, and I’m saddened that it is not so for all survivors. I wish the world was such that all survivors could speak out, if they wished, without having to fear what the consequences would be. I hope that by adding my voice, the world can be pushed a little more in that direction.

(via evelark)

(via evelark)