Episode 17: "Justice is Me Being Strong" [TRIGGER WARNING: Graphic Discussion of Rape]

Hey y'all, this is Doug. I'm not including our usual bouncy musical introduction in this podcast, because it just doesn't seem appropriate. But, in case you listening to podcasts and we just popped up on your playlist, this is Trauma Club with Vanessa and Doug and you are listening to Episode 17: "Justice is Me Being Strong" [TRIGGER WARNING: Graphic Discussion of Rape]. If hearing personal stories of rape is particularly triggering for you, please go no further than this.

Most of the time, when we're processing our trauma, we're able to do so in hindsight. We're able to look back and attempt to reconstruct what happened to us and what it means going forward. This episode is different.

Last week, someone raped Vanessa. 

It's so hard for me to say those words; I can't even imagine what it was like for my sister and my best friend to have experienced their reality. I don't want to provide any more context, because I want Vanessa's story to speak for itself.

After it happened, Vanessa recorded her raw feelings with intention of sharing on the podcast. For the first half of this podcast, until around the 45-minute mark, you'll hear that recording. Other than a long gap when Vanessa was searching for an article online, I didn't edit the recording at all. I wanted to honor her pauses as much as her words. Following Vanessa's story, we spend the second half of the podcast in conversation together--unpacking what was done to her and how she's processing it.

Vanessa reads an excerpt from a Psychology Today article, and that can be found here.

If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault and you need someone to talk to, please don't hesitate to contact RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) on their website or by calling toll-free at (800) 656-4637.

[TRIGGER WARNINGS: Rape, Revictimization, Sexism, Purity Culture, Lynching, Police Violence Against Black People]

This episode was recorded on September 3, 2020.