Gratitude.

Last night, my faith in humanity was restored.

After feeling like I couldn’t even call myself a feminist anymore, after questioning all of the beliefs I have held dear since childhood, and after feeling like humanity was nothing but a bunch of assholes, I was proven wrong.

Last night, so many of my friends, professors, and readers, came out to Stand Against Sexual Violence. They came out in the cold, despite the late hour and short notice.

So I wanted to thank all of you who came out. As a feminist, but more importantly as a survivor, it meant more than I can say. To see all of you standing in together in that circle, taking a stand, moved me to (literal) tears. It was powerful and touching all at once. You should all be proud of yourselves for taking a stand.

But our work is not finished.

There are still so many things we must do in the coming months to continue combatting this endless cycle of rape culture in our community. Many of these actions will take careful planning and consideration.

But as a commenter recently pointed out, there are many things we can do in our daily conversations and interactions to combat rape culture.

When you’re hanging out with your friends and one of them makes a rape joke, stop them and say it isn’t funny.

When you’re watching tv or browsing the internet, and you see an ad that objectifies women, write to the advertiser or station/website. Ask them why they feel a need to support this company or this treatment of women.

I know that these actions seem insignificant. I thought that what I was doing was insignificant. But there is nothing insignificant about holding a vigil in support of survivors. There is nothing insignificant about standing with your fellow students and saying “Enough.” Remember, it only takes one spark to start a fire.