The Very Movement

Being a sexual abuse survivor isn't easy, especially when the abuse you suffered happened as a child, repeatedly, for years, by a family member.

I recently came forward and an investigation has started. My parents now know the years of pain and shame I endured.

They didn't go about it the right way; instead of asking how they could help, they asked why I didn't speak up sooner. 

Years ago, I was far too terrified to imagine uttering a single word about what I was going through.

Then, the #MeToo movement happened. I was still too terrified to say anything, but I watched as actresses accused men of abusing their power. I watched as Christine Blasey Ford raise her right hand before the entire nation. the me too movement filled me with hope. I knew that I wasn't exactly ready to speak my truth, but I finally understood that it could be done. 

It is now two years after Christine swore an oath; I have come forward about my own abuse, and Trump is up for re-election. Trump has openly mocked the #MeToo movement, which is just another brick in the miles-long wall of misdemeanors. 

My parents voted for Trump. And even though they stand by me in my own story of abuse, that action alone speaks volumes about what they actually think. Maybe they didn't know about the court cases he was involved in for sexual abuse — and in no way is Trump the only politician with this history — but it still hurts. 

Whether they knew it or not, they mocked the very movement that gave me hope in my darkest times.