I know. Usually rape happens between two people who know each other which is a problem, like an uncle molesting or raping their niece/nephew.

I think my issue with the entire thing is that women are expected to take the blame for being raped, while we aren’t holding men to a standard. We’re not going out there and telling men and teaching men to stop raping, we’re telling women to dress modestly and to immediately tell someone if it happens.

Thing is, often when a woman does tell someone, whether it’s the police, a pastor or a trusted family member, they’re dismissed or are threatened by the rapist. They’re asked, “but what were you wearing?”

You know what I was wearing? A turtleneck sweater, a hoodie, and sweatpants. I was 15. I looked like a trash bag. And it still happened to me. Yet people, my own PARENTS, questioned me. “Did you lead him on? What were you wearing? Were you inviting him? Why didn’t you push him away? Why didn’t you say something earlier? Maybe he was just lonely and depressed. Maybe he just needed a friend”. All of that shit. And it broke me down, because no one believed me, and I was punished for it. The guy? Over 18? No consequences because my parents never told authorities nor did they let me, because of how tight of a grip they had on me.

Still to this day, I wonder if it was my fault for trying to be his friend and being a good person and not listening to what people said about him, that “he is creepy”. I still blame myself for it.

And the fact that people think it’s the way I dressed or that I was asking for it sickens me. Imagine a child being asked that. Imagine someone asking YOU that.