sexual assault Archives

13 Days of A+

af+ personal essay

there is a black and white background of nyc with a grid if instagram symbols laid over top a line of red lace crosses the center of the feature as though to say "no" and three scarlet hands, all matching, reach up in the center of the image

af+

What If It’s a Woman?

“We spoke up. Hell, this was post-#MeToo era. We were heroes. I was… a hero. So, why did I feel so much shame when, a year later, a woman sexually…

Motti —

Dec 14, 2023

#affiliatemarketing

consent

lgbt book reviews

In Challenging, Complex Essays, “Unsafe Words” Queers the #MeToo Movement

Multiple of these essays ask how we can make queer spaces safer, especially for our most vulnerable community members, while also not becoming our own police.

Nico —

Feb 21, 2023

sexual assault

tops and bottoms

Two white women lie in bed on a white sheet. We can see their torsos and the tops of their legs. The woman on the left wears a light blue button-up shirt and dark blue underwear. The woman on the right wears dark blue lingerie. They hold hands.

first person

How Bottoming Helped Me Heal From Sexual Trauma

I had to learn how to feel safe in the world in order to bottom. For me, surrender is healing.

Stuti —

Sep 29, 2022

fatness

sexual assault

A curvy Black woman with long braids pulled back into a pony tail rests her chin on the edge of a white bathtub underneath her hands. She's wearing air pods. A brown, wood wall and a stack of white towels are visible to her left. The bathtub is filled with bubbles.

first person

When I Stopped Apologizing for My Fatness, I Started to Heal

I had to figure out what it meant to reconnect with a body I’d always been afraid of.

Simone Person —

May 17, 2022

covid-19

racism

A woman glares across a pink and red ocean. Tiny people hold up boards to try to block the waves.

politics + activism

The Revolutionary Anger of Asian Women

Our anger can be a tool of resistance in a post-pandemic world. Instead of burying or relinquishing it, we should learn to use it.

Diamond Yao —

Jun 10, 2021

personal essay

sexual assault

A collage-style visual of a small, simplistic yellow house on a hilly foreground of textured red; behind it is a background of a dark sky with hand-drawn stars

first person

When Restorative Justice Language, Instead of Action, Perpetuates Sexual Abuse

I tried to lead restorative justice in my own sexually abusive (former) t4t relationship. I did this because I am an abolitionist and know people are more than the worst…

Lexie Bean —

Mar 26, 2021

bisexuality

evan rachel wood

society + culture

I’m Fucking Tired of Writing About Abuse and Sexual Violence Against Bi Women Like Evan Rachel Wood

Evan Rachel Wood, the epidemic of sexual violence against bi+ people, and why we’re so tired of waiting for people to listen.

Heron —

Feb 4, 2021

mental health

sexual assault

sex

You Need Help: Is It Possible to Repair a Relationship After a Consent Misstep?

“I’m worried the relationship is ruined before it even really got started. What should I do? Do I have to break up with her, or is there a way to…

Christina Tesoro —

Feb 11, 2020

personal essay

sexual assault

coming out

The Closet Let Me Feel Anything and Everything

Closets suck, generally speaking, but sitting in mine gave me joy. This is a coming out story that doesn’t neatly fit in the queer community, much less my own mind.

Grecia Magdaleno —

Nov 8, 2018

community

mental health

community

How We Survive This Together

Let’s make radically caring space for each other, OK? Here are some tips and tricks for grounding ourselves and taking care of our communities in times of collective trauma like…

KaeLyn —

Sep 28, 2018

feelings atrium

republicans

community

It Sure Has Been a Week!: A Feelings Atrium

It’s been a rough fucking week! Come hang out in here with the rest of us who feel like we’ve aged 25 years in seven days if you need it.

the team —

Sep 28, 2018

criminal justice reform

prison-industrial complex

politics + activism

15 Years Later, Has PREA Protected LGBTQ Prisoners Against Sexual Assault?

A disproportionate number of prisoners identify as LGBTQI. On the 15th anniversary of the Prison Rape Elimination Act, we look at what the bill has done to protect them —…

Sydney —

Sep 24, 2018