Alright so in general, this community handled this whole ordeal really well during the investigation. But now that it’s closed, turning it into a “meme” is still really harmful for anyone who has been sexually abused or has gone through the process of reporting sexual abuse.
Just, keep in mind that the jokes you make may seem harmless to you, but for people who have experienced this kind of thing (on both sides), it makes the community feel less like a safe space.
Yesterday, a bunch of people on the Discord were ripping the original story to pieces in a way that almost seemed victim-blame-y. While yes, I tended to agree with a lot of what those people were saying, anyone reading the reaction would likely feel uncomfortable or unable to come forward in the community if they had experienced sexual abuse without being “ripped apart.”
I didn’t see that much here on ChaCha, but it’s worth a reminder. So, just something to keep in mind while y’all are celebrating.
Edit: y’all this should not be considered a “hot take”
Edit2: alright this has been extraordinarily exhausting so I’m gonna just… call it quits for a lil bit on this. toodles.
okay so a lot of it is what sappho already said here. that whole “I always knew it!!! what 15 year old likes craft beer! the omaha steaks! what a joke!!” kind of language can create unnecessary anxiety that every story (true story, of course), has to seem completely 100% plausible. when, sometimes, that literally just…isn’t the case. or, even if it is the case and someone’s experiences do seem to be “the norm,” seeing the reactions here and the circlejerk behavior is enough to make someone question whether or not they would be taken seriously. yes, people generally kept quiet about it before, but seeing all this talk about how “this is what I was thinking the whole time,” “I never believed it,” etc etc etc only leads to SA survivors being extra wary of who in the community they can trust. because now, it feels like if I were to come forward with something, everyone would be secretly judging me and ripping me apart.
