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.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Forty-six years ago I was 18, a freshman, away from home for the first time at college. I went with a group of girls to our first party given by an upper classman. I was drugged and raped. I tried to push him off and yelled NO, NO, NO... In those days there was a curfew at the dorm and serious repercussions if you were late. I ended up staying up all night in the bushes crying. I could not tell anyone and felt a tremendous amount of shame guilt,and pain all these years. I knew I would be blamed for the rape. I ended up leaving school and getting married the end of the semester only out of fear and shame. I just wanted to be safe. I was terrified that it could happen again. I could never tell anyone all these years. The memory of that night is forever etched in my mind and the incident permanently changed my life. It robbed me of more than just my virginity. 

I grew up in an era where rape victims were always blamed. I knew a coed that was gang raped and the defense attorney said she asked for it since she was wearing black rubber rain boots and a skirt. The boys were found innocent. She ended up in a mental institution. 


Do not let this happen to women ever again. It seems as though nothing has changed. Ignoring this issue continues to sentence innocent victims to a lifetime of pain, shame and humiliation.