November 2017: PAVE

“Grab ‘em by the pussy. You can do anything.” – Trump, POTUS

I was 4 years old when I was first forced to conduct a sexual act on a male. Four. While I should have been learning how to tie my shoes and tell time, I was instead learning to see my body as an object. I was being taught, even as a young girl, that it was perfectly OKAY for others to steal my dignity and self-respect through acts of sexual assault. I was being taught by our society that being female meant there were always strings attached, to everything.

Note to self: welcome to being a female, where your body will be sexualized and objectified by at least half the population from this day forward.

As I rolled into my teen years, I thought I was in the clear—but I was far from it. In high school and college, I watched female friends of mine publicly berated because of how they were dressed. I learned that, as women, there’s a certain way you have to dress or you’ll be deemed a “slut” and ostracized by your school community, your work community, or your peer group.

Note to self: it’s not ok for you to express yourself through your clothing without being judged—and possibly blamed—for any sexual assault you may endure because you were “asking for it.”

When I entered the workforce, I remember being told (almost on a daily basis) by a male manager of mine that I needed to “smile” because it made me “look pretty.” And I started to wonder…was I put on this planet to sit still and look pretty?

Note to self: you’ll have to fight tooth and nail to be acknowledged for your intelligence, your values, and what lies behind your skin, your boobs, and your butt. Oh, and forget about the raise—unless you don’t mind being sexually harassed at work routinely.

If I sound bitter, it’s because I am. And frankly, we ALL should be. We humans should be downright pissed at what we’ve done to sexualize females in our society. It is NOT OKAY to be touched without permission, body-shamed or called “babe” by complete strangers just because of our female body parts. 

Note to the world: We are human beings, and we’ll be damned if sexual assault and harassment in our society are slipped under the rug as they have been for years. Our bodies are not yours for the taking.

We have a voice and we are not afraid to use it to tell anyone and everyone who believes it’s ok to sexually assault women where to go.
We are not your MILFS, your cougars, your sugar pies, or your honey bunches. We are not your trophy wives or your arm candy.

We are not your babe.