Welcome to the SpeakOut! Blog

Break the silence that surrounds sexual assault, sexual harassment, interpersonal violence, relationship abuse, stalking, hate crimes, and identity-based violence. Share your story here on our anonymous blog.

To speak about an experience with any form of interpersonal violence is difficult, but it is also empowering. Breaking the silence reduces shame and helps others to speak out about their own experiences.

End the shame. Be empowered. Speak Out!

Thank you for Speaking Out! We would love to get your permission to share your testimonial. If you would like to allow your testimonial to be used at a later Speak Out!, please let us know by making a comment or a note in your testimonial.

We are holding our spring Speak Out! on April 16th, 2018 from 7-9 pm in The Pit. For more information, check our Facebook page.

Because this blog features stories of interpersonal and sexual violence, we offer this *content warning* as a way of caution. We also ask that you do not reproduce any of the content below, as the authors of these personal stories are anonymous, and cannot give consent for their stories to appear anywhere other than this blog or at a Project Dinah-led SpeakOut event.

Monday, January 25, 2010

There were no sounds, no feelings, there were only fleeting pictures of moments I would choose to forget.

This boy had a girlfriend. I was at a party at a friend's house in another city and I had far too much to drink.

I kept hoping that someone would walk downstairs so it would have to stop. I kept hoping that someone at the party would wake up and realize what was happening. I kept saying no. I was drunk. I said it quietly. I was not forceful enough. I did not yell. I did not scream. I kept saying no.

When it finally stopped I picked up my clothes and went into the bathroom and sat on the toilet. I came back out of the bathroom, he was asleep on a couch. I sat down on the other couch.

A few hours later, I walked up the stairs to the large room where my friends were sleeping. I curled up into a ball next to my friend and stared straight ahead. He did not wake up.

The next morning it was time to go home, and everyone said their goodbyes. The boy who had violated me hugged me. I got the chills to the core of my being. He said goodbye like nothing was wrong.

I knew this boy before. This was not some stranger.

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