As always when I hear of someone else who has been victimized, I am saddened and angered. My heart goes out to you for your experience. Thank you for sharing it here.

I burned my clothes.

He hung my underwear on the college dorm window as proof that he had taken a virgin.

There was no question it was rape. But none of us spoke.

Thank you for everything you do. It is not a poem- it is the truth of my story and the most I can say at this time. XO G

I wish I were close enough to give you a hug that would go on forever. And if no one ever has told you… it isn’t your fault, you did nothing to bring it on. If I could, I’d go back in time to protect you, but I can’t. I can, however, be here as your friend for whatever you need, when you need it. And I agree, books which help people recognize they are not to blame for being the person hurt are important and need to be available, not locked away somewhere, hidden and unread.

Speak when you’re ready. Until then, I’ll keep speaking for us both.

There is so much I want to say here but I can’t seem to find the words because my throat is tight and my fingers are clumsy right now. I cannot speak. No one ever told me it was “okay”. No one ever told me that it wasn’t my fault or stepped forward to protect me. I’m 36 years old and I still can’t SPEAK.

THAT is why this book is so important. Books like SPEAK can do so much to help young people recognize that they are not at fault in these situations and that they can reach out for help without shame. Because more women deserve to be like you my friend. You have been injured but you have not been broken.

I’m absolutely with you 1000%. The books which hold up a mirror to life and allow us to live it vicariously and therefore gain understanding of those around us are vital and need to be kept in the schools, on the shelves, and shared as much as possible.

And hugs back to you. I think the part about this whole thing that does tend to gripe me the most is that it is an educator that has decided to take something off the shelves that can be beneficial to students. For those who did not have a mom as awesome as yours, books like this help to show them they should not feel ashamed, and they are not at fault. And hopefully to show others what is NOT OKAY to do to another person — EVER!!

We need to keep these books in our schools! And even then they should be widely shared, not taboo.

For me to have gotten past my experience as well as I did was hugely dependent on three things: my mom figured out pretty fast that something was going on and she said something to the kid’s mother, she made it clear nothing about it was my fault, and she let me know that it’s okay to say no.

So for an educator, no less, to go around saying (he gets to speak) that people who’ve experienced sexual assault shouldn’t speak, that we should bury this book about someone learning to speak–well that really fries my shorts. He’s asking for silence from the wrong party.

Thank you for stopping by to read it. I was unexpectedly moved when writing it. I thought I had put all of the emotion behind me, but it still came out and grabbed me.