A powerful hashtag trended on Twitter on Thursday night as victims of sexual violence who had never reported their attacks spoke out in solidarity with women who were not believed when they came forward about their rapes.
The hashtag, #BeenRapedNeverReported, appears to have been started by Antonia Zerbisias, a writer for The Toronto Star who has been tweeting in support of actress Lucy DeCoutere.
DeCoutere is one of nine women to accuse former CBC host Jian Ghomeshi of sexual violence, and one of two to publicly come forward. Her accusations led to the rise of the #ibelievelucy hashtag. Tweeting in support of DeCoutere and other women who have come forward with stories of their own, Zerbias started the #BeenRapedNeverReported hashtag:
#ibelievelucy #ibelievewomen And yes, I've been raped (more than once) and never reported it. #BeenRapedNeverReported
— Antonia Zerbisias (@AntoniaZ) October 30, 2014
If all women who've been raped stepped out of our shame & shared, we would make the stigma go away! #BeenRaped#NeverReported #ibelievelucy
— Antonia Zerbisias (@AntoniaZ) October 30, 2014
Other women quickly joined in and their tweets were both harrowing and heartbreaking:
Black women rarely report rape because this nation has been taught that we are UnRapeable #BeenRapedNeverReported http://t.co/uFXZ7x1jrY
— Persephone Jones♿ (@galvezmiro) October 31, 2014
I was raped by my father for 10 years, but he died before I was anywhere near ready to go to police. #beenrapedneverreported
— Mike Sloan (@mikelondoncan) October 31, 2014
#beenrapedneverreported he was older, more worldly, and I felt like it was my fault, because I ignored my instincts.
— Beverly Bambury ☔🌱🪺 (@BeverlyBambury) October 31, 2014
You put pressure on someone, make them feel weak and vulnerable, then wonder why they don't physically fight back? #BeenRapedNeverReported
— sara waxelbaum ☠️ sara taylor woods (@sarataylorwoods) October 31, 2014
https://twitter.com/IndigoIndigone/status/528007322115641346
https://twitter.com/IndigoIndigone/status/528005893690904576
#beenrapedneverreported by friends roommate in 97. Been drinking w 4 friends. Woke up with it starting. Blamed myself. Now i'm angry.
— Sarah Yasmin 🇨🇦 (@SarahFYasmin) October 30, 2014
#BeenRapedNeverReported b/c I didn't want to ruin his life b/c I thought he didn't ruin mine…it took me awhile to realize I was wrong.
— NYCyclist 🚲💨 (@BishfaceBobby) October 31, 2014
https://twitter.com/cassidymeghan/status/527993775587852288
He pushed me on the couch and said: "you can't say no, you're my girlfriend." — I cried all that night. Many after. #BeenRapedNeverReported
— Daphne Simone (she/they) (@daphnesimone) October 31, 2014
#BeenRapedNeverReported because I saw what happened to people who reported in the military.
— Writtin Directino (@RaavynnDigitaL) October 31, 2014
If you're nervous to post to #BeenRapedNeverReported, yes it's terrifying, but equally liberating and powerful. Set the shame free.
— Nadine Araksi/ Նատին Արաքսի (@scarbiedoll) October 31, 2014
#beenrapedneverreported a guy tried to rape me at McGill, saved when roommate walked in. Thx for everyone's honesty here
— Susan Swan (@swanscribe) October 31, 2014
https://twitter.com/femme_esq/status/528002669714341888
https://twitter.com/MillerGabrielle/status/527981561522954240
Being raped was horrible. Trying to report it & then being made to feel it was my fault was worse. #beenrapedneverreported
— Neurodivergent Pride (@kittypoet) October 31, 2014
Hard to admit this hashtag relates to me. Was so close to getting away; still see my hand on the doorknob sometimes. #beenrapedneverreported
— Ann Hagerty (@31annotations) October 31, 2014
Some men, including author Neil Gaiman, tweeted their words of support and empathy:
https://twitter.com/joshelman/status/528061340045164544
https://twitter.com/tim2pt0/status/527964243048407040
https://twitter.com/SF_Bud/status/528070350366863360
Reading the #BeenRapedNeverReported hashtag. It's hard reading. Makes me slightly ashamed to be human & much more ashamed to be male.
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) October 31, 2014
Visit Twitter to read more #BeenRapedNeverReported tweets.
Read More at HuffPost
