I know you. I know what it’s like to go through your day unable to talk about the pain you’re enduring, silenced by culture or circumstance; stigma or men; or the fear of losing your job, boyfriend, or dignity. I know what it’s like to be unable to speak what has happened, and therefore, to not believe it’s really true.
I also know the power of story, and how telling yours—even to yourself in the dark stillness of night—can help, can show you that surviving this is only a catalyst in your life, that the act of surviving means you still have life, still have a story to live out, and that you’ve already done something heroic by surviving.
We live in a culture where popular belief tells us that men are strong and women are weak. Yet, many men do not have the strength you have, the strength you’re using even now, to survive. Do not then, let this kill you or your spirit. And do not let a small portion of these men tell you that surviving is a weakness, that by surviving your wholeness, your dignity, and your healthcare can be taken.
You matter. You are strong. You survived, and your story is far from over.
We will not stand for the AHCA.