Me Too.
Just tell him you’re going to the bathroom. Or say you just got your period or something. No, he’ll think that’s gross. What if he tries to follow me to the bathroom? This is so awkward. How do I leave? At first I didn’t want to come off as rude.. But this is a little ridiculous.
First off, why did he take me into his small-ass college dorm room that has a bunk bed with no sheets. I’m not sure how ‘help me find my friends’ equates to ‘take me to your room.’ But here we are. Also. What’s that smell? Low-key scared to look in his hamper. Honestly, I might throw up. But maybe that’s because I slammed back 5 tequila shots in one hour. Now I actually have to go to the bathroom.
“Heyyy budddy. Uhm. Dónde está bañooo?
“What?”
“Oh, ha, where’s the bathroom?”
“That closed door is the bathroom.”
Shut up. It’s in his room? Ok, maybe someone will answer from my group chat.
“Ok. Thanks. Be R beeeee”
* Walks in bathroom and shuts door *
Are you real? Are you reeaaalllll? How are you dead right now?!
* Throws iPhone across the floor *
“Hey, you all good in there?”
Before I have a chance to answer the door slams open.
“What are you doing? What was that noise?”
I want to ask for a charger.. but I also don’t want him to know my phone is dead.
“Oh, sorry. I found out I have an exam super early and need to leave.”
Well that was easy.
I walked out the door and left.
Can we all agree right now that that’s what should have happened? I should’ve been able to leave at my own free will. I shouldn’t have had to even come up with an excuse. I should’ve been able to say ‘I want to go home’ and just leave.
That’s not what happened though. I was told ‘it was fine.’ When it clearly was not fine. I had been uncomfortable from the moment we entered his room.
There’s no way this is happening. I pushed him off and ran down three flights of stairs. I made it to the bottom and violently threw up.
I feel like I should be sorry, like I did something wrong. Like I deserved what happened because I got separated from my friends. No one deserves that. No one deserves to be in that situation. And if you ever have, don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself or speak out. Chances are a lot of people will be on your side and, unfortunately, know exactly what you’re going through.
I wish I could say the story above wasn’t true, or I hadn’t heard it from a friend before. Unfortunately, these situations occur all the time. After seeing #MeToo appear on every social media platform, it became apparent that many women experience this.
The Hashtag
The hashtag #MeToo originated from Tarana Burke but just recently went viral. After the Harvey Weinstein ‘biggest kept secret of Hollywood’ came out, #MeToo resurfaced. One after another, women came forward revealing their own sexual harassment experiences. The response was overwhelming. People started supporting each other by using the hashtag and showing that they are not alone.
According to National Sexual Resource Center, “One in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives.” Think of your sibling, co-worker, childhood friend, ex-partner, even a random acquaintance being in the wrong place at ‘the wrong time.’ As the statistic shows, women have a higher chance of becoming victims. We live in a patriarchal society where women are often taken advantage of. Baby-Boomers and Millennials have teamed up together to start a movement however.
And before I go any further, I need to clarify something. A Feminist is someone who believes in equal rights for both men and women and everything in-between. Put down your armor just because the word “fem” is in it. If we focus on the fact that we are all human beings, then we will continue to make progress. I hope to see men and women and everyone in between standing up against social injustices. My goal is for future generations to feel empowered to make a positive impact.
Hopefully this quote by Angela Davis can bring further inspiration, “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change, I am changing the things I cannot accept.” Let’s unite together and change the things that bring pain, heartache and humiliation.
