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#YesAllWomen is a hashtag taking over social medial in a firestorm recently and it holds a very powerful message.
In the aftermath of Elliot Rodger's misogynistic video and manifesto followed by his killing spree, people everywhere started to speak out against this all too common attitude of violence and harassment towards women. In response to the defensive "Not All Men" claim that comes up every time women try to share their experiences with misogyny, women fired back with the #YesAllWomen hashtag. Not all men share the same misogynistic views as Elliot Rodger's but enough men do that it has come to be expected that all women will experience harassment, sexism and violence against them. Comments such as "I don't blame guns, I blame blonds for this one", or "Well girls, keep that in mind next time you friendzone somebody" were commonplace on Elliot Rodger's youtube videos. We live in a society where women are treated as the blame for the violent and unjust misogynistic actions of males - #YesAllWomen.
I say #YesAllWomen because my "boyfriend" in high school wouldn't take no for an answer.
I say #YesAllWomen because that wasn't the first time I had experienced sexual assault.
I say #YesAllWomen because I was threatened with rape when I went camping with a friend and her friends. We were all sharing tents and as we were settling into our sleeping bags and about to call it a night, the male in the tent I was in started to make advances towards me, I told him to stop and then he gave me the ultimatum to let him have sex with me or sleep on the ground outside. I slept on the ground outside to avoid being raped that night.
I say #YesAllWomen because I've been told over and over again that I am to blame for the actions of these men.
I say #YesAllWomen because I am afraid to walk out my door by myself at night.
I say #YesAllWomen because when I go out into a public space, my body becomes a public object.
I say #YesAllWomen because I can't walk down the street without being the subject of the male-gaze and catcalls.
I say #YesAllWomen because I know more friends who have experienced sexual assault than those who haven't.
I say #YesAllWomen because as I go through this list, I go through them as if they are simple everyday facts, they are void of anything uncommon or unusual.
I say #YesAllWomen because you need to stop telling me how to dress and start teaching your son's about consent and respect.
I say #YesAllWomen because I am a woman, I am not an object and it's about time society grasps that radical concept.