You Better Recognize: The GOTU Community

We, sexual assault survivors, have been groomed to be silent.

We, sexual assault survivors, have been groomed to be invisible.

We, sexual assault survivors, have been groomed to assume accountability.

We, sexual assault survivors, have been groomed to believe that we’re broken.

We, sexual assault survivors, have been groomed to believe that we’re crazy.

To hell with all of this!

“No one is coming to save us.”

It takes a tremendous amount of intestinal fortitude to pull yourself up after being victimized by a sex crime. The suffering is something that isn’t discussed in mainstream information sources or public spaces. It’s only in the deep recesses of society where victimized persons able to gather and share what “witnessing your own murder” is really like. The ongoing societal induced suppression of the topic and oppression of survivors prevents necessary conversations from being had within the public spaces of our society. This silence of people who aren’t impacted and the silencing of the survivorship community, is perpetuating an epidemic that must be stopped. As survivor of sex crimes, we understand that no one is coming to save us. So, we’re doing the work and driving the change that we need.

We, sexual assault survivors, will no longer be silent.

We, sexual assault survivors, will no longer be invisible.

We, sexual assault survivors, will no longer assume accountability that belongs to the perpetrator(s).

We, sexual assault survivors, will no longer see ourselves as anything but whole, beautiful people.

We, sexual assault survivors, will no longer accept the stigma that invalidates our trauma.

Today is a new day-the dawn of a new era!

GOTU celebrates those persons who have been victimized by sex crimes and choose to work through the trauma. It specifically identifies the unwavering perseverance of each sexual assault survivor to commit to live. It also acknowledges each survivors commitment to regularly show up for ourselves by: battling through the tidal wave of feelings; accepting our new respective realities; fighting against societal prejudices; and, suffering the [ongoing] predatory behaviors of the [respective] criminals who violated us. Although we know that no one is going to save us, there are people who are there to help us as we work to save ourselves.

“Thank you” to the advocates who educate us on what our available options are to move forward.

“Thank you” to the survivor supporters who love us and hold us up.

“Thank you” to the activists who fight to educate the masses about sex crimes and change negative societal perceptions about survivors.

All of you give us strength and hope for a safer, more welcoming tomorrow.

We know that this difficult journey includes a host of challenges (depression, addiction, promiscuity, violence, unemployment and homelessness) that may slow us down and potentially knock us off course; you struggle with us. There are no perfect words to say and no perfect actions to take, but you still to try to help us. We acknowledge your presence, effort, and impact on the world.

We all are a community.

We all understand the need to end sex crimes.

We all will effect change in this world.