A Canadian writer, Kelly Oxford, broke Twitter on Saturday, October 8, 2016 when she called on women to tweet about their first sexual assault in the wake of the news of Donald Trump’s 2005 comments about grabbing women “by the pussy”.
Oxford keyed into the rage that followed the revelation of Trump’s aggressive sexual remarks in which he suggested that women let men sexually assault them if the men are celebrities. “They let you do anything if you were a star,” the US Republican presidential nominee said on an Access Hollywood bus.
She described the first time she was sexually assaulted at the age of 12 on a bus. Her tweet has been viewed more than 10 million times and appears like it is going to be, sadly, the most replied tweet of the year.
https://twitter.com/kellyoxford/status/784541062119456769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Women, and a few men, responded to her tweet telling their own stories about being sexually assaulted and raped. Oxford said she received replies at the rate of 50 per minute for the first 14 hours.
“Anyone denying rape culture,” she wrote, “look at my timeline now.”
https://twitter.com/kellyoxford/status/784934911887106048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/kellyoxford/status/784758511347511296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Many of the stories told by women cast a picture of an epidemic of sexual abuse of minors. Also a good number of the survivors were molested by their doctor, male relatives, clergymen, and teachers which is a very sad story about the betrayal of a trust.
Here are some of the tweets:
@kellyoxford 35yr old hairdresser offers 2 drive me home. Shoves his tongue down my throat. I’m 15. He’d been cutting my hair since I was 9.
— Rachelle Lefevre (@RachelleLefevre) October 8, 2016
#1 10 years old gymnastics coach grabbed me by the 'pussy'.
— Helen Austin (@helenaustin) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford my 1st is similar to yours. Old man on city bus grabbed my pussy. I was 8 and my parents were sitting two rows behind me.
— Solange (@ihrtreid) October 8, 2016
@kellyoxford Male nurse prac at clinic tries to give me a “PAP smear” through my anus, tries to tell me he can only get at cervix that way.
— Kayt Sukel (@kaytsukel) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford During my 2nd month in the military a supervisor raped me n my barracks room (the day before Thanksgiving). I was 19 years old.
— Monica (@MsMonica_E) October 8, 2016
@kellyoxford 6 yrs, pediatrician kept rubbing his genitals on my knee. Told Mom. Never went back. Still wont go to male doctors.
— Leena Huff (@leena_huff) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford I grew up believing I was only worthwhile as sexual object. Having sexual appeal was paramount, it meant survival in my world
— Kmm (@KMM_OR) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford, a 40 something man grabbed my crotch while waiting for NYC subway. I was 12.
— Kevin Cunningham (@RevKev55) October 9, 2016
.@KellyOxford I was 14 years old. Orthodontist felt me up…grabbed my breasts. Said no one would believe me. They didn’t.
— Malory Shaughnessy (@MaloryOS) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford 6th grade. shoved face-first against locker by unknown boy & he grinds his dick against me. His friends watch, laugh.
— Stephanie Curtis (@stephcurtis) October 9, 2016
I was 12. It was the pastor of my church. He cornered me in the basement. He grabbed and groped me. I remember feeling guilty
— Cindy Marino (@crdeloney) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford At 13, my former stepdad grabbed me to sit on his lap to rub my breasts. Said “it’s ok cuz I’m your dad”
— Sue Hall (@suehall49) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford age 5. cousin put his penis in my mouth for the first time teaching me that my body was only created to be used by boys #NotOK
— ImperfectlyFlawless (@Tiffany_Fehr) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford when I was 9 at a public pool, 2 teenage boys grabbed my ‘pussy’ and one swam underneath/between me rubbing me #notokay
— 1hornydad (@demigrn) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford I was 4 when the teenager next door said he would cut my pussy off and keep it in a jar under his bed if I told. #notokay
— bridgealidget (@bridgealidget) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford
I was 17 when I was assaulted by a priest while attending a weekend religious retreat. #notokay— Jane Miles (@JaneMilesArt) October 9, 2016
My 8th grade teacher kissed me on the mouth, after he told me of his “concern” for me when I was absent. #notokay @kellyoxford
— Joanne (@cuppajoey64) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford not female, but the first time I was sexually assaulted I was 11. He was a friend of my moms. I never told her, out of fear.
— Dombek (@itsDombek) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford The first one I vividly remember is my 6th grade teacher resting his balls on my arm on the edge of my desk, and grinning.
— Leah Angstman! (@leahangstman) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford 2nd assault: 8 years old. A quack job doctor would molest me in exchange for prescribing my mother pain pills.
— aneerbaS (@aneerbas) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford I ws 14 grabbed off the street by 4 boys. Cop stops it, scolds them, takes me home & says good girls don’t do that. Never told.
— Penny Johnson (@puristology) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford My next door neighbor “weighed” me by picking my up by the crotch. I was 8. #notokay
— Mara Kieval (@MaraKieval) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford not me, but my sister was fondled by a cop who pulled her over for “speeding”. She was maybe 17. Horrible.
— vp (@VPVP1957) October 9, 2016
@kellyoxford Elderly relative. Multiple incidents. I was 3-5 years old. Hard to reveal even now. #notokay
— Jami Boettcher (@JBoettcher) October 9, 2016
And one of the saddest…
Do I know any women who haven’t been sexually assaulted? Tweeted my experience @kellyoxford. Realized I can’t think of anyone who HASN’T.
— Em (@kaltaru) October 9, 2016
We applaud all the women, and men, who have survived childhood sexual abuse and rape as adults for telling their stories and pray that this conversation helps to drive the right kind of change that will make the world safe for every child, boy or girl and men and women.
