TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF RAPE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT.

Throughout my life, I’ve always had a core group of female friends. Of course, some friends have come and gone throughout the years, but my favorite memories with these women has always been nights during which we sit around and have intimate conversations. Last night was one of those nights.

Last night one of my best friends told me that she was raped.

Two weeks ago, I went to visit my two best friends from early high school, and they both told me that they had been raped.

I’m getting so fucking tired of bonding with my friends about this.

In every single one of my female friend groups, at least two of my female friends have been sexually assaulted. Everybody has heard of that statistic, which claims that 1 in every 5 women on college campuses will be sexually assaulted. One in five. Twenty percent of college women will experience sexual assault WHILE in college.

Why does this happen? Why can we all sit around and bond about how we are all survivors of sexual assault? Why is this still happening?

These are our bodies. Nobody has a right to touch them, to look at them, or even think about them without our consent. Nobody has the right to force themselves upon us. Nobody has the right to touch us or grope us.

This is my body. You have no right to it.