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Just a reminder folks, the PM & Linda Reynolds & Brittany Higgins probably won't see your tweets, but more than 2 million Australians over the age of 15 have been sexually assaulted. Odds are, at least one survivor is seeing what you're writing.
No survivor owes you an explanation about why they did or didn't report to anyone. Using someone's rape as an opportunity to have a partisan dig or to have a crack at certain journalists is absolutely revolting & you should be ashamed of yourself if you've done that.
No, this isn't a problem "with the Libs". This behaviour exists across the political spectrum, in all industries & all walks of life. Stop trying to pretend it doesn't happen on "your side".
No survivor owes you their story. Ever. If a survivor decides that they never want to tell anyone what happened to them, that's a valid choice. If they want to shout it from the rooftops, that's also a valid choice. You don't get to question why someone does or doesn't speak out.
When a survivor does speak out, it's on us to listen. To shut up, sit down & listen to what they'd like to see happen. Not to talk over them & tell them what should happen & how they should feel. We don't get to do that. Ever. We shut up & we listen.
Because we haven't created a world in which it's safe for all survivors to speak publicly. We pick & choose which stories we're willing to hear & we decide what we'll do with them. And that's so many kinds of wrong.
It takes incredible strength to do what Brittany has done. But we haven't created the space for all survivors to do that, so stop asking all survivors to speak. Stop using the stories of those who do speak as some kind of bizarre spectacle.
Ask yourself whose story gets heard & whose doesn't. Ask yourself why. Ask yourself why some of those voices don't get heard & reflect on some of the horrific bullshit that's been spouted today.
